


Viper in the Night

by KnightJackalope



Category: Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Argonians (Elder Scrolls), Blood Magic, Magic, Necromancy, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:00:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 67
Words: 304,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27393886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightJackalope/pseuds/KnightJackalope
Summary: Viperish Night is an Argonian with no tribe and no home. Banished for reasons he could not understand, he journeys into a world that is far larger and more dangerous then he ever expected. He starts out so innocent and naive, but the type of magic that nibbles on his tail throws him into a dark and blood-filled world and he follows his strange mentor into the dark. Will he swim the icy river, or find another path? Thus his story begins.-Ongoing-
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

-Black Marsh -??? Years ago-  
The small Argonian child played by himself in the mud, why an Argonian female minded her garden. The child started to talk to someone, and she looked over and screamed, lurching up and running from the child. Another Argonian came running, dressed in tribal feathers. "Calm yourself, what is the trouble, Ziyeni?" She asks. Ziyeni shakes, pointing behind her, where the child is playing with a Pony Guar skeleton, that is very much animated." "Tree minder..." Ziyeni says with a shudder. "I cannot watch over him anymore, the others will agree with me. Take him away!" She runs, fleeing. The Tree minder sighs. It's not the first time she's placed the child in a clan's care, only to have him rejected. He was a strange one. She walks over to him, kneeling. "Little one, you must cease. You upset the river and those who dwell in it." The child looks over, and his head falls, the Skeleton falls to pieces, sinking back in the swamp. "Lonely." He whispers. "No one likes me..." She places a hand on his shoulder. "We will take you to a new clan. But you must never use this type of magic again. Do not make waves, lest you drown. Or drown others." 

-Clan Mossyrocks-  
Tree Minder spoke with the clan leader. She had moved with the child since the first incident, but this time she could not stay with him. Her current clan had special need of her, and she owed them for taking them in. It was not natural moving from clan to clan like this. On the two-week journey through the dangerous marshlands, she had done her best to teach the child to put what he had done deep within him, buried underwater where it could never surface. "He is a strange one." She said. "The river throws him around, and he cannot swim to settle in one current." She pauses. How much to say. She wanted him to be safe. Happy. "His egg appeared in the hatching pool. No one could say who placed it there. It was most unusual. It was not done in the way of the Hist, more like a shadow on the water. But the child is not to blame for this." The Clan Leader tilts her head. Puzzlement is in her eyes. "The Hist has no answers for this?" She finally said. Treeminder shakes her head. "The Hist will not speak of it. When he is of age, perhaps the Hist will enlighten him. Perhaps this clan can be where he swims without a struggle. Will you take him?" The Clan leader nods. "Of course. He will be raised with the other children, and we shall attempt to guide him."

-??? amount of years later-  
He walks through his clan, who stands by watching as he walks to the Hist. He is a rangy Argonian with dark grey scales and copper stripes. His eyes are a crystalline colored, with darker colors around the eye slit. Horns a dusky red-brown that curve around either side of his head peppered with smaller horns. He has tiny horns on his snout. As he eyes his clan, he thinks the word is insufficient. He never has fit in, though he has tried to float the river. Stopping at the Hist Tree, he bows his head to Tree-Minder, who has traveled from their old clan. Raising it, he smiles at her. She smiles back, but she's nervous underneath her warmth for him. Had he done something wrong? Sometimes, he thought the fact he existed was enough. He had buried his magic down deep as instructed. He tried to fit in and swim the river, but it was as he was swimming up-current against the might of the river. His clan leader approaches him and bids him to come and taste the sap, and speak to the Hist. He does as she instructs, and closes his eyes.  
When at last he feels the need to open them, he's standing amidst many trees, glowing with warm orange light. The Hist is prominent, in the center of the grove. But there is an anomaly, one of the trees glows a cool blue. It stands out and it is as if the other trees lean away from the blue tree. The blue tree's grow increases and it starts to spread among the orange trees. The orange trees wither and die, and the blue starts to encroach on the Hist. He looks down at his hand and sees it glows blue, as does the tree that does not belong.  
The Hist, at last, speaks to him. "You do not belong. Part of you is not Saxhleel. Part of you should not be what it is. Therefore you are a blight that will destroy those that do.  
What? He thinks in despair. "I do not use that magic." He pleads with the Hist. He's been trying too hard to swim with the river. But the river is now rejecting him. "I have done nothing wrong." He says desperately.  
"You Exist." Is Hist's reply.  
His greatest fear come true. His existence is somehow wrong. It was not his fault this magic was in him! He lowers his head, trembling.  
"You must be washed from the River." The Hist continues. And before he can once more plead for a different outcome, the vision is lifted, and he's back standing with his clan. No, the clan. Not his. He trembles harder. He can no longer feel the connection to the Hist. He is empty and alone.  
The Clan Leader steps forth. "You are to be taken to the edges of The Marsh, where you go therefor, we do not care. But you may never come back to the Marsh.  
Banishment for something he had no control over. "No!" He snarls. He will not just go whimpering away. He flexes his claws, anger welling inside of him. But before he can attack, Tree Minder dashes in front of him, and holds his shaking arms, her forehead resting against his. Tears glimmer in her eyes as she starts to say his name.  
"No!" He snarls. "If I am not Saxhleel, then I refuse the name the Hist gave me." He shudders, struggling in Tree Minder's grip.  
"Please." Tree Minder begs him. "I did not want this, but the Hist has spoken. We are of the same mind, if not the same heart."  
He stops struggling, breath hitching in his chest as he listens to Tree Minder.  
"If you fight, they will kill you and scatter your remains on dry ground." She continues. " You will cease to be. Go, accept banishment. Find a life out there. Find your own river. Just live, please live."  
He stands there with Tree Minder, tears in his eyes as well. Finally, he speaks. "For you, I will try." He says softly. They stand together for long moments. She had always been like a mother to him. And now he'd never see her or the Marsh again. He finally stepped back and two of his former tribe step to his sides, and they start the long journey to Marsh's edge.

They left him at the edge of the marsh with just enough money for transport. So now he stands at the docks at an unnamed port, his head down, with no idea what to do. He sighs and moves toward one of the boats that one of the dockworkers told him will take him to one of the lands in the Ebonheart pact lands. He'll be the safest traveling in a land friendly toward Argonians during these turbulent times. But before he can reach it, a mysterious voice speaks to him.  
"No, take this boat instead." The voice asks of him. He snaps his head up and looks around, but cannot see the speaker. He shrugs, and heads toward the boat the voice said. Why not? It would lead him to lands that had fewer Argonians. Even those far from the marsh would know him to be an outcast. He pays his fare and walks up the gang plate onto the boat. He hisses slightly, it sways under his feet. He's never been in a boat before. He never needed to. He looks around for the mysterious speaker, but no one stands out to him. The boat sets sell, heading toward Stros M'Kai, a small island in the Daggerfall Covenant. 

A rainy night, a few more days from Stros M'kai, he finds himself wandering. The rain feels good on his scales and he stands at the stern of the boat letting the wind and rain wash over him. His home is farther and farther away, and he shall never be able to return. Still, he cannot help himself standing here, looking at a home that can no longer be seen.  
"Forward." The mysterious voice says softly. "You should look only forward."  
He jerks back, then glances at his side. A man now stands there, glowing blue and transparent. Is he a spirit? Dry scales had those, or so he had heard from the rare traveler. He turns to get a good look at this spirit. The spirit wears mage robes, has long hair, elegant pointed ear an intense eyes. A mer, then. Did he summon him with his magic by mistake? It has been so long since he had an accident, but he is traumatized and lost. "You are a spirit." He says. "I did not summon you by mistake, did I?"  
"Mistake?" The mer says, looking at him. "Do you consider your magic a mistake? I hear the disdain in your voice."  
"I am not to use it. It disturbs the river." He says quietly in despair. "It is bad. It is very bad."  
"They would tell you that." The mer says. "It is no curse, it is a gift. You deprive yourself by denying it."  
"Why would they tell me not to use it, if it is a gift?" He replies  
The mer smiles. "Because they do not understand it. And because of that, they fear it, and you. Necromancy is very powerful. You could be strong, powerful."  
He blinks several times. His magic had a name? Tree-Minder had never told him that. And it should be used? Not locked away, deep inside himself? He is so uncertain.  
"You can belive those who disposed of you as if you were trash, or you can believe me. I can teach you." He trails off, awaiting his answer.  
He wishes to teach me. He thought. But Why? He did not trust anyone anymore. Not after the Hist had abandoned him. "Why would you teach me?" He asks the mer.  
The mer pauses before answering. "It is a diversion. An interesting one." The mer muses. "And its time off from my punishment for a minor transaction."  
He stares at the mer. Perhaps not a spirit then? But what else was there? "Punishment for your magic?" He asks.  
The mer laughs. "Of course not. Those who feared me had no power to stop me. Hmm... Let's just say I tried to take something that was not mine to take."  
"I see." He said. He did not see, but he had to say something why he thought of the strange mer's offer. But there was no choice, in the end. He was alone in a world he never set foot into. He was utterly lost. "Very well." He finally says. "I would like you to teach me."  
The mer once more smiles. "I need your name." He asks.  
He hisses low in his throat. "I renounced it." He says angrily. His tail swishes as he looks out at the dark sea for a few long moments before finally saying. "I belong to no one and no place. So shall I be the night?" He growls at the sea, the night, the world in general. "But the night has fangs one cannot always see. They will strike and rend their venom upon you." He looks back at the mer. "You may call me, Viperish Night. And you will give me your name?"  
The mer slowly shakes his head. "That, Viperish Night, I am bound not to say. There are things I cannot tell you for now. You may call me your Mentor to make things simple. Also, there are two conditions if you wish me to train you."  
"What conditions?" Viperish Night asks warily.  
"I will teach you. You will travel through the Daggerfall lands and explore it and its people. Help them if you can, it will ensure they do not see you as an Ebonheart spy. And at night, your lessons with me shall begin." Mentor pauses. "The conditions are this, for now, you will not travel outside the Daggerfall lands and you will not have anything to do with the Worm Cult or the Daedric Prince Molag Bal's machinations.  
Viperish Night flicks his tongue out. Even in the marsh, they have heard rumors of the anchors that came out of Oblivion and the Daedric fiends that streamed out. Such strange conditions. "Why?" He finally asks.  
"All I'm allowed to say is if you disobey these simple conditions, you may cause a break. And it will destroy you, and potentially more than you." Mentor says.  
Viperish Night found himself very puzzled. But this mer could teach him. And he would not be alone in this frightening world he found himself in. "Very well." He agrees. "I will obey your conditions, and you will teach me this necromancy."


	2. Act 1 - Lizard out of Water

Viperish Night stands in the middle of Port Hunding, just blinking. It was so different from the marsh. So many dry scales. It made him dizzy and long for home. But his mentor had told him not to look backward. The marsh no longer existed for him. He felt the loss as if bitten by a viper, pain, and numbing all at the same time. But he had promised Tree-minder he would try. And he had a mentor to teach him. He finally starts to walk, getting over his initial shock at the new surroundings. He stops outside a merchant's stand, and longingly looks at a staff. He felt his innate ability straining to be let out. He had so much to learn! But he was out of money, and so he sighs sadly.  
A female orc sees him browsing without buying, and wanders over. "HEY!" She yells, swaying slightly. He casts his eyes on her, she's the first orc he's ever seen. Light green, with small tusks. Brown hair in short pigtails and half pieced together armor. And very very drunk. "I'm Miriza. Fight these spider things with us." She slurs. "We have a contract thing, but I think our leader drunk himself to death. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? The Idiot! We split three ways. Lots of money for staff things! And MORE BOOZE!"  
Spiders? Viperish Night cocks his head, tongue flicking in thought. He has fought his share in the marsh. Even without knowing how to use his magic or any weapons, he can take on spiders with his claws. "Very well." He says simply. "My claws are yours."

These were not like the marsh spiders! Not like them at all! Viperish Night thinks as he dodges away from one of the strange spiders. Metal swarming things, like wasps but much harder to break. His claws just skid right off their hard metal shells. Hissing, he grabs a broken shard of metal and attacks the spider things with that. It at least stuns them enough for Miriza and Hogmar to beat them to pieces with their hammers. Finally, all of the swarm is beaten into pieces. "Damn Dwarven Spiders," Miriza mutters. "Always swarming out of the ruins and causing trouble."  
"Least we get paid! Gold! Booze Money!" Hogmer yells, slapping both Miriza and Viperish Night on the back.  
Viperish Night looks down at the shards of the spiders. "Interesting creatures." He says. If only they had been more friendly.  
"Tavern time!" Miriza says. "Coming?" she asks of Viperish Night. He shakes his head no. "Thank you, but I must get my staff. I need to train soon."  
Strange beings, these orc dry scales. Viperish Night thought later as he bought his staff, looking it over happily. It was a simple one, but it was his. Now he would just have to learn how to use it. Viperish Night glances at the darkening sky. His mentor instructed him to meet him aways out of town, away from prying eyes.

Sand blowing in the night wind. Packs of scrawny wolfs and bloodred assassin beetles scurrying around the sandy dunes. Viperish Night narrows his eyes at this target. He holds his staff out and a bolt of electricity hits it, sending it flying into the air to land on its back, dead.  
"Your learning fast." His mentor remarks, from behind him. "Now, raise it."  
Viperish Night nods and focuses. The beetle starts to twitch once more and rights itself with an unnatural lurch. Its dead eyes glow with a sinister blue light as it scurries to Viperish Night's side. It had been so easy to release his magic from its locked cage, Viperish Night thinks to himself. Necromancy had always been there, nibbling at his tail and wanting out.  
"I think you have enough control for the mainlands now." His mentor remarks. Viperish Night glances back at his mentor. He had been training for two weeks on Stros M'Kai, learning basic magic and control. He could defend himself now as well with it. Thinking of the mainland was daunting, however. This small island was a tiny snatch of the dry scales and the larger world. He had grown used to it. Glenumbra was a daunting thought. Still... he must move forward on his river. "Very well." He replies to his mentor. "I should have enough for passage." Miriza and Hogmer's leader had drunk himself to death and he had been running jobs with the two of them. Clearing out more Dwarven spiders, which was much easier with magic than his claws, and sometimes goblins that encroached to close to town. The two orcs drunk far too much and were so very loud, but he found he would miss them. They were the first dry scales he had gotten to know, after all.  
"Do not get to attached." His mentor tells him as if he knows where Viperish Night's mind has traveled to.  
Viperish Night sighs, but nods at his mentor's words. He knew best, after all. The world at large did not accept necromancy and its practices. 

Viperish Night stands over a half-decayed goblin. His mentor stands beside him. A storm had delayed travel, and occasionally the rumble of thunder followed by bolts of lightning could still be seen and heard as the storm dissipated. The boat would depart for Glenumbra when the sun rose. But first, his mentor wished for him to raise this goblin before he could get some sleep before the trip. Viperish Night has misgivings this time, however. All the other dead he had practiced on had been beasts. Viperish Night tilts his head looking at the small humanoid corpse.  
"Goblins are little more than animals." His mentor lectors, impatient. "The dead's souls are gone. They won't care what you do with their remains."  
This did not seem to be true. His people cared what happened to their remains, they must return to the marsh and become one with the Hist. Surly other cultures had their ways to. But he kept these thoughts to himself. He was already trying his mentor's patience with his hesitation. Viperish Night raises his staff and to his surprise, it is not any harder to raise this goblin then any of the beasts he had practiced on. The remaining skin sloughs off the goblin and a skeleton stands before him. Viperish Night studies it, even pokes it with a claw. It does not attack, just waits there. Suddenly a howl splits the air and a wolf appears over a dune, spitting out growls and drooling. Viperish Night stares up at the diseased wolf and the goblin skeleton surges forward to do battle at Viperish Night's will. The wolf is brought down without any trouble and Viperish Night dispels the goblin, allowing it to rest once more.  
"You do learn so fast." His mentor remarks. "I need to find you a proper graveyard in Glenumbra. See how deep your wells of necromantic magic go.  
Viperish Night nods, though his thoughts are gnawing at him again. It feels so good to let his magic out, but it still disturbs him a little. He does his best to shrug it off. He'll get used to it eventually. It is not like he's doing anything bad.  
Viperish Night boards the boat for Glenumbra the next morning. Per his mentor's suggestion, he left without a fuse. Miriza and Hogmer would find another for their scrappy gang.


	3. Act 1 - Butterflies in the Fields

Viperish Night steps off the boat, again overwhelmed. He thought Stros M'Kai was busy but Daggerfall was something else entirely. Viperish Night's eyes widen and he wished his mentor was here with them. He felt rather lost. But his mentor never appeared when dry scales was near, he must not want to be seen. Do dry scales run from ghosts? Was he even a ghost? Viperish Night still had so many unanswered questions. And journeying just made even more! He starts walking, suddenly aware of all the stares he is getting. Not all are curious, some are hostile. He had forgotten about the war going on. It was not so present on Stros M'Kai. Viperish Night decides to skip the inn and head straight out of town. It's already afternoon, and his mentor will expect him a good distance from the city tonight.

Viperish Night walks down the road, and then moves off of it, to head into less populated areas. He suddenly hears angry shouts, blades being drawn. He hurries down the deer trail, to see four bandits advancing on a pair of merchants and one of the guards from Daggerfall. Viperish Night grips his staff, and electricity crackles around it. He thrusts his staff, and a lightning bolt explodes in the center of the bandits, startling them and sending them reeling. The guard takes one of them down, the rest flee into the hills. The three thank Viperish Night, though they still give him curious looks. What did his mentor say? Yes, help out the natives and they will trust him, or at least not think he's a spy so readily. 

Viperish Night heads a bit further from the path, halting suddenly, there is blood in the air. His mentor is standing over one of the bandits, who lies sprawled on the ground with bloody claw marks still oozing. "A wild beast set upon him," Mentor says. "Nothing to be done about it for now. He must have had it coming. At least he'll make good practice material for you." He nudges the dead bandit, then focuses his intense gaze onto Viperish Night, as if he expected him to hesitate as he did with the goblin.  
Viperish Night takes a deep breath and steps forward. First a goblin now a bandit? At least they had already been dead. He would not kill something just to learn his craft. He looks down at the man, perhaps a Breton, though he's not for sure. Would he not wish to return...what did the Bretons want done with their bodies when they died? Still, he must not hesitate, least he disappoints his mentor. He readies his necromancy, and again it is easier than he expected it to be, though this time no wild beasts charge in for the resurrected corpse to fight. Viperish Night lays the bandit to rest soon after and glances at his mentor. He's proven he can raise zombies and skeletons of beast and man alike. What is next?  
"Tomorrow night, you will meet me east of here. There is a forgotten graveyard." His mentor instructs. "It will take you some travel to get there. Start early in the morning." With that, his mentor vanishes. Such ease of travel he has. Viperish Night has to walk. Viperish Night yawns and goes to find a place to bed down, away from the bandit. The wild beast that killed him could return. As he walks to a small grove of trees and starts to get ready to sleep, he thinks of the graveyard. He was not sure why dry scales wished their remains left in such places. He gives a long-suffering sigh. His remains will likely end up in some horrid place far from the Hist that rejected him. He rather not think about that.

Midafternoon the next day finds Viperish Night sitting crosslegged in a clearing filled with a stunning area of colorful wildflowers. A multitude of dead butterflies lies around him as magic gathers in his clawed hands. A burst of wind swirls around Viperish Night and the fallen butterflies burst up glowing eerie blue and flutter around Viperish Night until they come to rest on his upper arms and horns. Viperish Night smiles softly.  
"So very useful." A sarcastic voice rings out. Viperish Night turns his gaze to see his mentor has appeared before him. He's gazing at Viperish Night in bafflement. "Zombie butterflies." He continues. I'm sure they'll strike such fear in the hearts of men and mer alike.  
Viperish Night gives a sheepish shrug. "I leaped into a swarm of them in mistake. I killed them all." He explains sadly. "I thought it was a good chance to practice. So their deaths are not in vain."   
"Hm.." Mentor murmurs. "Raising that many, even as small and simple as they are. The graveyard this night should prove interesting." He raises an eyebrow and gestures at Viperish Night and his undead butterflies. "Stop playing with your insects, Viperish Night. You need to get moving if you want to make our meeting this night."   
Viperish Night reluctantly nods, letting the butterflies rest, and sadly watches as the necromantic light leaves their small bodies as they drift to the ground like fallen leaves. He rises, and his mentor nods, satisfied, and vanishes. 

Viperish Night meets his mentor in the abandoned graveyard. He was late but had encountered several Wormcult Necromancers in his path. He had hidden from them, but it did allow him to observe the small group for a while. The three did nothing interesting, however. Just collected some plants and animal bones. He explains this as he meets his mentor's stern gaze. "You did tell me to stay away from them." He reminds his mentor.  
Mentor nods. "Yes, take my lessons to heart. Including not allowing anyone to see you as you practice with necromancy. Doing it during the day in plain sight, such as you did earlier. Someone could have seen."   
Viperish Night hangs his head. "Sorry, Mentor. I did not sense anyone close by, and the butterflies...I will do better."   
Mentor looks at Viperish Night for a few long moments, he seems puzzled. As if he expected Viperish Night to act differently then he does. He then turns his back and leads Viperish Night to the middle of the graveyard. The moons are bright overhead and the stars shimmer in their light, casting the graves in bright cool moonlight. "Sit." Mentor commands Viperish Night. "Feel the dead all around you, buried in the earth. They are more than forgotten dust, bones, and decayed flesh. They are power! Yours for the taking. "  
Viperish Night sits on the cool earthy ground. He can feel the remains of the fallen all around him, and even a flicker of souls that have yet to move on, though they are faint. His thoughts are not all on tonight's lesson, however. His mentor talks about power so very much. As if it was the only thing that mattered. He was not sure he understood. But he also never wanted to disappoint his mentor either. So he kept many of his thoughts to himself. Viperish Night reaches out his senses. There are so very many dead here.   
"Now, Viperish Night." This time I want you to release all your power. Hold nothing back." His Mentor instructs.   
"Very well." Viperish Night replies. Letting go is so very hard when you hold it in all your life. He had slowly been learning to undo his mental blocks little by little. Tonight, his mentor wants them all down and so he releases, and necromantic power bursts from him in a cold blue light. The dead start to rise from the ground in droves. Some are whole, others are missing pieces and look ready to fall apart. And it is not just a few Viperish Night has raised, but very nearly the whole graveyard. Viperish Night roars to the night sky. So much power! he thinks, shaking from it.   
His mentor startles, looks around. So much more than he expected this early on in Viperish Night's tutelage. It should have been impossible for a newly trained necromancer to pull off a feat such as this. Still... Mentor grins wickedly. The results could not be denied. And perhaps as Viperish Night felt this kind of power, he would grow to want more of it.  
At first, the skeletons stayed still, glowing with undead light. But they start to shudder and slowly start to move. Mentor can feel Viperish Night's control over them slipping. There are far too many for him at this stage. "Keep control of the dead, Viperish Night." Mentor warns.  
Viperish Night shakes harder. "Too many!" He hisses. "I cannot control them!" The skeletons start to advance on the two, surrounding them in a wall of the undead.  
Mentor starts to glow and he holds out his hand, and a staff appears in it. He slams it down causing the earth to quake slightly and the unholy life releases from the skeletons, their bones turning to dust.  
Viperish Night falls to his side, breathing raggedly. The power was intoxicating when wielding it. He thought to himself. But now it just terrified him. How could so much power be in him?   
"Get up." Mentor commands. "Find someplace to rest. Next time we'll try someplace smaller. You lack control still."  
Viperish Night slowly rises, his head spinning. Mentor is very helpful, and all he had. But he was not always nice, not like Tree-minder. Did he not do good enough tonight? "You will teach me control." He says to his mentor.  
"Yes." Mentor replies, smiling. "You are very powerful, Viperish Night. But raw still. I'll mold you into what you should be. Trust me on this." With that, once more he vanishes.  
Viperish Night smiles as he tiredly walks out of the graveyard to find someplace to rest. So he did do good. His mentor called him powerful. He was not sure that mattered to him, but his mentor's praise did matter. Though he was not sure he wanted to be made into anything. Was he was not sufficient? Perhaps not. The world was cruel as well as lovely. 

Viperish Night came across the first of Molag Bal's anchors, that his mentor had warned him about, the next day.   
Viperish Night stood on a hill overlooking the dolmen. The power of death, an innocent being sacrificed by necromantic power, had drawn him in. He should not be here. But what if he had come earlier? Would he bid his mentor's warning and stay on the hill hidden, or would he have tried to stop the Wormcult necromancers from sacrificing a life? He never did that for his magic. Hissing he fights with himself. Stay or go. He promised his mentor. He would disappoint him. But part of him wanted to see as well. "What did I promise exactly." He says softly to himself. "Right! Do not interfere. I am not. I am watching." He sighs sadly, and rests his head on the ground, lying on his belly like a snake to avoid notice. "I was too late to interfere anyway."

The glowing light of the sacrificed soul flys up as a hellish white hole swirling with ice blue daedric energy opens in the sky with a bloodcurdling noise. Chains crash down anchoring into the dirt around the dolmen and the sky turns dark as if it is night. Daedric creatures appear. Little implike creatures, a giant biped crocodile, Daedra in armors, and a giant eyeball with tentacles. So this is one of Molag Bal's anchors, Viperish Night thinks. It is horrifying and terrifying. The scream of it seems to rip reality itself. But it is also strangely... Viperish Night tilts his head as he thinks. Awe-inspiring. Such power unleashed. "Bad, Viperish Night." He hisses to himself. "This is not a good thing. Just a very bad interesting thing. That I am not supposed to be near."   
A dazzling lightning bolt suddenly comes out of nowhere and strikes one of implike Daedra, blasting it to dust. Brenton's with a few Orcs and Redguards have arrived to fight the Daedra. Viperish Night watches as they fight, so very fiercely. One by one the Daedra and Worm Cultists fall, and the group of heroes set to work destroying the anchor chains and smashing the small glowing crystals. One last burst of light comes from the anchor, and a giant Frost Atronach appears, smashing into the heroes, sending deathly ice to engulf them. The heroes rally and attack this new threat as a group, and finally, it falls, and one of the heroes smashes the final crystal, shutting down the anchor. The heroes rejoice, not a single of them fell this day. But it is a false rejoice, Viperish Night can feel it. The power of Molag Bal is still here. The Worm Cult will open it again in the future. Viperish Night rises and quickly leaves before anyone can spot him. He did nothing to help. His mentor had told him not to. He should listen to his mentor. But... He still wonders what if he had come in time to save the person the Worm Cult killed? He tries to shake it off as he heads further east.

Viperish Night wanders further east as the day grows later. He's not paying much attention to his surroundings, thinking upon the anchor and the dry scales that banded together to fell it and the Deadra it spawned. His thoughts are interrupted, however, by a male Breton voice calling out to him. Viperish Night pauses and four male Breton's in armor and swords catch up with him. The captain walks in front of him, giving him a good look over. "You are not an Ebonheart spy?" He asks gruffly.   
"No" Viperish Night answers warily.   
"Healer?" The captain asks again. And again Viperish Night answers no. The man shrugs. "Can you fight, Argonian?"  
Fight? He fought the bandits, and he has fought wild beasts most of his life in the marsh. He knows enough non-necromantic magic to fight without giving away his secret. "Yes." Viperish Night answers. "You wish use of my claws and magic then."   
The man nods. "I'm Captain Kithen, these are my men. The town near here is under attack by members of. the Bloodthorn Cult. We are outnumbered, it is just the four of us. The guard is scattered all over Glenumbra dealing with the cultists, Molag Bal's anchors, and the other alliances. We could use the help."  
"I am Viperish Night." Viperish Night introduces himself. "I will aid you."   
The captain nods and the group head into town. Corpses lie ahead. Viperish Night thinks. He can feel them, and more than that, some of them are starting to reanimate. Necromancers must be among the cultists and they are raising the zombies. He hisses softly. He preferred raising Skeletons. Easier to think of them as tools and not as beings that once was alive.   
Captain Kithen barks orders and the battle is joined. Viperish Night unleashes fireballs at the reanimated dead, saving the lightning bolts for the cultists that try to come after him and the others. It's utter chaos. The anchor earlier was chaos as well. But he was hidden away from the chaos. Here, he is in the midst of it. His eyes dart every which way, tracking the guard, zombies, the cultists. The battle is intense, frightening. There is little room for thought, so he lets his training take over, using his elemental magic to take down the zombies and cultists. A few survivors of the town join the offensive and eventually the sounds of battle die down, and the chaos ends at last. There are no more zombies. No more cultists to raise more. Viperish Night turns his head and his eyes fall on one of the cultists his lightning bolt at ended. Sometimes the bolts left nothing but dust behind, but this one had taken a glancing blow and died without turning to dust.   
Viperish Night kneels at the cultist's side, looking into the dead glassy eyes.   
"Are you alright?" Captain Kithen comes up to him, noticing him on the ground by the fallen.  
"I have killed many beasts, but not this." Viperish Night says, trailing off. He gently touches the cultist with his claws. The skin is losing heat, moving into the cold of death. Viperish Night knew death, practiced with it, but never took a man's life. "I do not know what drives them to do these things." He finally continues, looking around at the devastation. Was all this for power, or something else?  
Captain Kithen puts a hand on Viperish Night's shoulder. "They follow Angof. Sometimes a single man can drive multitudes to murder and madness." He says. "There will always be people like that. And people willing to follow. But also people to fight injustices such as these." He leaves Viperish Night to his thoughts to check on the rest of his men, and the survivors.  
Viperish Night rises, and his eyes move east. Perhaps it was time for him to leave Glenumbra. These necromancers disturbed him. He was not like them. He did not want to be like them. Surely there were necromancers out there who thought as he did? It could not all be about power. He shudders slightly as he thinks of how it felt. Did beings get addicted to the power surge and want more? Or was there something else to this? Yes, it was time to leave. Perhaps Stormhaven would ease his thoughts. He heads east, giving a last sad glance at the remains of the town behind him.

That night, during his lessons with his mentor, he spoke of the battle. He attempted to keep the emotion from his voice but failed. He was not that good at deception.  
"Viperish Night, do not waste time on feeling anything for those you killed." His mentor harshly lectors. "They would not suffer such remorse if they killed you. It is a weakness. Now come, your next lesson awaits."  
Viperish Night agrees, but once more keeps his inner thoughts to himself. He was unsure why caring was a weakness. His mentor was colder than he thought. What had made him that way? Not that he would ask. His mentor never spoke of himself. He still did not know his name. He banishes his thoughts and follows his mentor into a nearby crypt.   
Viperish Night dodges as the skeletal knight's sword misses his head by an inch. He hisses, raises his staff but lowers it, and leaps backward at his mentor's command.  
"Focus!" His mentor demands of him. "Put it under your control."   
Viperish Night growls at the skeletal knight. "It's harder when they have already risen! And when they keep trying to remove my head!" He dodges again, and then rallies his power, and thrusts it at the knight. The skeletal knight's sword comes down once more, then freezes. He has control! The knight lowers his sword, submitting to his will. Viperish Night feels a chill go down his spine. In time he could control many of these creatures. The thought frightened him more than anything. He steeled himself and did his best not to let that fear show.   
Another skeletal knight is coming. Mentor glances at it, then at Viperish Night. "Send yours to attack that one. Let us see which undead knight wins."  
Viperish Night almost asks what is the point to that, but stops. His mentor is teaching him control. He needs to stop questioning it. A small motion with his staff and will sends his skeletal knight racing towards the new one, and the two clash until both are broken on the ground. Viperish Night stares down at them, then at his mentor, who nods at him.  
"Good, Viperish Night. That's enough for today. Are You crossing the border soon?"  
"Yes, Mentor." Viperish Night replies. "I wish to see Stormhaven." He does not mention his reasons for wanting to leave Glenumbra.   
His mentor gets a thoughtful look as if he knows something of what awaits Viperish Night in Stormhaven. "You may take a night or two off from our lessons. Journey to the border and get used to Stormhaven. I will come to you when it's time to continue." He vanishes, leaving Viperish Night alone. Viperish Night heads up, and out of the crypt. He's very tired and full of thoughts tonight. The two will war, and hopefully, sleep will win.

Viperish Night watches the deer bound into the clearing. Lithe and graceful and so quick to flee. He watches another as they bound away as he tries to approach them. Viperish Night's eyes take in the clearing, the quiet. No one is around. It is during the day, and his mentor warned him against this, but he can feel the deer bones in the ground. They call to him. He sits in the grass and unleashes his necromancy. He will control it better and make his mentor proud. Deer skeletons start to rise from the ground all around him, though they are missing bones here and there. His mentor had told him that to raise one you wished to use for a specific purpose, preparation was best. But he had no specific purposes for these deer. The skeleton deer stand all around him, along with a few rabbit skeletons. "Do not flee." Viperish Night commands. It is against their nature, but they obey him and he maintains control. There must be ten skeletons around him. He is proud of himself.   
A soft feminine gasp startles him, however, and he snaps his necromancy back, the bones falling to dust all around him. "Oh, no.." He hisses as his gaze locks onto a young female Breton mage who has entered the clearing. She will run. Viperish Night despairs. Just like the deer, and mentor will be so disappointed in him, that he let his guard down and someone had seen him.   
But, strangely, she does not flee, instead of coming closer to her staff in her hands. "You should not be doing this." She says to him softly.  
He looks up at her, making no sudden movements, lest he spooks her like he spooked the deer. "Magic should be used. Not hidden and locked away." He replied.   
Sensing he was no threat to her, she sits in front of him, laying her staff down in the grass. "Necromancy is not the path to follow!" She insists. "It eats away at our souls, little by little corrupting it. It violates the rules of life and death, which should be held sacred."   
Viperish Night blinks at her words, taking them in. He did not feel his magic eating away at his soul. Perhaps that is what the Hist feared, and feared it would spread to his fellow Argonians. But locking it away also felt wrong. "But it still wants out." He tries to explain it to her.   
She frowns at him. "You choose to pursue it." She says. "There are better courses of study for magic. You can use your innate gifts elsewhere."  
Viperish Night sighs. She does not understand. He tries again to explain. "Necromancy is not a power I leap into. It has always been intertwined with me since I was a child." Will she understand now?  
She looks at him, startled. "But that cannot be." She said. "I have never heard of necromancy being an innate ability."  
Viperish Night looks down at the grass, running his claws through it. "I am so very different." He says sadly. "Forever an outcast. Even my people and the Hist do not want me."   
Her eyes soften, and she takes his clawed hand into her soft clawless one. "I am Seriana." She tells him. "I am bound for the mage guild in Wayrest, past the border into Stormhaven. Meet me by the border tomorrow at noon. We'll go together." At his startled look, she explains. "You need help, I think." She looks into Viperish Night's sad eyes. "And a friend."   
Viperish Night thinks. His mentor had not mentioned mage guild much, only to say they would never accept necromancy or those who practice it. "My mentor may not like that." He finally says as he gazes into her warm friendly brown eyes.   
"Your mentor is a necromancer?" Seriana asks him, and when he nods she adds. "Not one of the Wormcult I hope!"   
"No." He says. Though he can say nothing else, not knowing much at all about his mysterious mentor.  
"Just come with me, still." She asks again. "No one will hurt you if you truly have done no harm and mean no harm. You should see all your options."   
Seriana lets go of his hand and rises with her staff. "The border at noon." She trails off.   
Viperish Night rises and bows his head slightly. "I am Viperish Night." he introduces himself. "I will think about it. And I have harmed no one with my necromancy. I have not even killed a creature for it. You have my word."  
She nods, though a puzzled look is in her eyes. "Usually it takes blood in necromancer rites." She says. "Another mystery, I think. You are full of them, Viperish Night. Tomorrow, Noon." She adds one last time, before walking out of the clearing.   
Viperish Night watches her leave, his thoughts in turmoil. She was so kind. Was necromancy bad? Everyone seemed to think so, save for his mentor and other necromancers. Including the ones killing innocents at the anchors. Perhaps he should try it in Seriana's way. Just to be sure. But he would disappoint his mentor. He sighs, and gets up, he has a bit of a journey ahead of him still, before he can rest for the night. The rustle of a bush has his head snapping left before he sighs at being so jumpy. Just more deer, he thinks as he departs.  
The choice presented to Viperish Night proved moot, however. The next day at the border had Viperish Night waiting for the kind mage, but she never showed up. He waited till late evening, before softly sighing, and makes his way across the border. Perhaps she had decided he was evil, after all. Beyond help. But she had been so kind. He was confused, but he dared not go to the mage guild alone, so he cast off the idea as he moved sadly into Stormhaven alone.


	4. Act 1 - Sorrow and Bears

Viperish Night dashes from Koeglin Village. It was a town near the Glenumbra border and it had been near night when he had finished his crossing. He wished for an inn room, but the town was besit by a madman! The town constable had accused him of being a bolt of lightning come to life to smite his town after Viperish Night had taken out a wolf who had attacked him with a bolt of lightning from his staff. He had been rather close to town at that point. But to accuse him of something so ridiculous? When Viperish Night had tried to question him, the Constable claimed a dream told him thus and threatened to put him in the stocks. Viperish Night had run out of town at that point. He was not ending up in the stocks! He wondered if all the dry scales of Stormhaven was this mad.  
And so, tired and confused, he had followed a cow up the road. Cows meant farms. He could sleep outside, as he often did in a patch of grass under trees, but he wished not to tonight. He could pretend it was because it was his first night in an unfamiliar land, but the truth was it was because of Seriana. Seriana had shown him such kindness, but then never showed up.   
Viperish Night stops near the farm, the cow is standing at an open gate, moo'ing and pawing the ground as if something has disturbed her. Viperish Night walks to the fence and looks into the gloom. The farm is abandoned, and there are Daedra in the fields. He finally could identify them, having researched a little back in Glenumbra. Clannfear and banekin. He hisses, no sleeping in any barn around here. He'd end up a snack. He moves away to sleep outside under the lonely stars, a good distance away from the Daedra infested farmstead. As he's staring up at the stars, waiting for sleep to come, he thinks of her again. Wayrest, she had said. Should he or should he not... He growls to himself. He could not just banish thoughts of Seriana as easily as he wished. His mentor would read him so easily and question him. If his mentor knew he'd been seen, he would be furious!. He needed to know the truth about her before his mentor continued his lessons. As his eyes drift close, he decides. He'll find a caravan heading toward Wayrest and check the mage's guild. 

Viperish Night had come in on the wrong side of Wayrest. He knelt behind a pillar, his claws upon it, the other hand gripping his staff. This part of town was infested with monsters! Was this whole land covered in madmen and infestations? He studies the creatures. Did he know these? He had been researching local creatures when he had the time. These creatures were red and brown with multiple legs. Insectoid but almost humanoid. More limbs attached to their back waving in the air. "Dreugh," he whispers as the name comes to him. The nearest Dreugh snaps its head toward Viperish Night and Viperish Night snaps back, his staff crackles as he throws a lightning bolt at the insect. The magic barely penetrates however and the Dreugh slams into the pillar, collapsing the structure onto itself, and nearly Viperish Night who barely manages to leap away in time. All the Dreugh's eyes are on him now. "Uhoh." Viperish Night says with a hiss. He's not sure how to battle these creatures. But suddenly the sound of swords sinking into exoskeletons reaches him and a group of Bretons rushes in, driving the creatures back. A horse races by with a lithe rider, and in its saddlebags are Dreugh eggs. The Dreugh all raise after the horse, out of town. Viperish Night sighs. Almost insect food. He hisses at the swarm of Dreugh as they vanish from view and continues into Wayrest. 

Viperish Night stands across the street from the mage's guild. He should not be here. But thoughts of Seriana had been nipping at his tail since she failed to show at Glenumbra's border. She had seemed so nice, and so worried for him. He had been quick to dismiss it as her deciding he was not worth her time, but what if something had happened? He takes a deep breath and crosses to the mage guild and enters.   
Viperish Night looks around as he enters. Circular, and two stories, it is filled with books, magic tools land artifacts, and so many mages. He avoids the ones on the ground floor, to climb to the less populated second floor. He circles the area, the few mages up here give him curious stares. They make his scales raise, even though he knows they are curious about an Argonian being in here, rather than what they could not know. He was so very nervous. Seeing no sign of Seriana, he heads back down, to circle the downstairs. Again, no sign of the kind Breton mage. But it is late in the day. Perhaps she went to the inn? Viperish Night steels his spine and approaches one of the mages reading a book, who's an older Breton with long grey hair and beard. He turns to look at Viperish Night, as Viperish Night approaches him.  
"Greetings." The mage says. "I am Benry Claverie, magister of this guildhall. What can I do for you?"  
"Viperish Night." Viperish Night introduces himself. "I... am looking for a mage I met. One I was to meet on the border." He lowers his eyes. "She never came. She is Seriana."  
The mages expression turns grave and he sets the book down. "I am so very sorry." He says, placing a hand on Viperish Night's shoulder. "We received word she was killed near the border by Bloodthorn cultists."  
"Dead?" Viperish Night lowers his head. But she had been alive such a short time ago! "She..." He trails off, then starts again. "She offered to take me here. But I was unsure. If I had been sure I could have gone with her then. I should have! She would still be alive..."   
Benry interrupts him. "You both could be dead right now. We are not sure how many of them there was." He sighs. "If anything it's the guild to blame for sending young mages out on their own in these turbulent times.   
Viperish Night shudders softly. He hardly hears the mage's words., his thoughts seem to drown him. Seriana had wanted to help him. She had not been afraid. She had held his hand even though he was not like anyone else and was doing things she thought he should not be doing. Benry's words finally penetrate his thoughts.  
"Are you looking to join the guild? Is that what Seriana was bringing you here for?" Benry asks him.  
Viperish Night's blood seems to freeze. Would anyone of these mages even understand? He shakes Benry's hand from his shoulder and bolts back from the mage. These dry scales and their need to touch! Suddenly it bothered him. He hisses low, starting Benry. "No!" He says with a growl. "I will remain on my own!" He turns and bolts for the exist, despite Benry's pleas for him to return.   
Viperish Night runs through the city, so many dry scales. He could NOT STAND IT! Why did they swim when Seriana did not? He ignores startled gasps and stares as he bolts from the city, back into the wilds. Mentor was right.. he was wrong to get attached to these dry scales! Lost in his despair, he runs right into a cluster of assassin beetles, who angrily hiss at him. He roars and stabs his staff down, and a wave of powerful electricity blasts into the beetles, sending them flying like leaves in the wind. Viperish Night hisses. He did not mean to kill them like that! The sound of water reaches him, and he takes off running to the water. He races in, it's shallow, but enough to submerge him and he swims under the bridge, and sinks to the bottom of the shallow river. He stays there, unmoving, until the next day when he finally pulls himself from the water, his clothes drenched. They will have to dry as he walks, for he needs to get away from Wayrest now. He's too near and wishes to be away from it.   
Viperish Night sits under a tree, still damp from sleeping in the river. He stairs at a small fuzzy animal with a huge tail who's chattering at him. Squirrel, he thinks. He wants it to come closer, so he holds out a piece of dried fruit, but the squirrel was very wary. "I did not mean to hurt the assassin beetles." He told the squirrel. "I was sad and angry. It is no excuse. But I will not hurt you!" The squirrel at last leaps into Viperish Night's lap and eagerly accepts the fruit from his claws. He smiles down at the small cute squirrel. Furry animals are soothing, he thinks. They calm my river, at least a little, and quiet thoughts that perhaps he should go back to Glenumbra and do things he should not to the Bloodthorns.

That night east of Wayrest, Viperish Night meets with his mentor. He bows his head. "Apologies, mentor. You were right. I should not get attached to anyone. They die far too easily." He says sadly. His heart is adrift in the river and he needs to anchor himself. His mentor is the only one who has been with him since his exile from the marsh. He thought he had done alright in putting the marsh behind him, but losing anyone, even one who swam with him briefly was far too much for him right now. He would play the wanderer until his heart grew stronger and he could swim his river without faltering.   
"You have learned a valuable lesson," Mentor told Viperish Night. "Trust in no one save yourself."  
"And you, Mentor?' Viperish Night asks.   
His mentor gives a thoughtful smile. "Perhaps not even I. Though I do have your best interests at heart, Viperish Night. You do well to listen."   
Viperish Night agrees with his mentor. He should stop doubting him, for it did his mentor an injustice when mentor had sought only to teach him.   
"Let us try something different, tonight." His mentor says, changing the subject.   
Viperish Night nods and follows. He must get his mind off of Seriana. He could do nothing for her now. And she could not do anything for him. It may be possible to raise the dead in unholy life, but one could not bring someone back from the dead as they were. Viperish Night wondered if necromancers had tried. If that's perhaps why some went down this path.  
The two walk to a nearby plantation. Its owners had been set upon by bandits, Mentor explains to him. Someone had helped them and they moved on past this place. But some bandits remained. "So walk softly, then." Viperish Night says. His mentor gives him a curious look.  
"Yes, Viperish Night. Follow my footsteps..." He sets off, keeping out of sight of the bandits, and Viperish Night follows right behind.  
They creep around buildings and detour around small groups of bandits. Then, when coming around the front of one of the abandoned buildings, an angry shout, the sound of steel being drawn. The bandit runs right through mentor as if he cannot even see him, and Viperish Night snaps his staff up in startlement and it slams into the bandit's head, dropping him to the ground unconscious. "I do not think I meant to do that..." Viperish Night said softly.   
Mentor just laughs softly. "Drag him inside, Viperish Night. " Mentor walks right through the door, leaving Viperish Night outside with the bandit. He looks down at the unconscious bandit, a male Breton with scraggly black hair and beard.   
He was bad... Viperish Night thought to himself. And I did promise to listen to my mentor more. He opens the door, grabs the bandit by the feet, and drags him inside the small building. The building seems like it was a small house, and it is been ransacked. Viperish Night leaves the man in the middle of the floor. What does mentor want him for?  
Mentor kneels by the Breton and Viperish Night kneels on the other side. "Your necromancy is a little different than others." He says. "Blood is power, but you can wield your magic without as much of it. Or even at all." His eyes lock onto Viperish Night. "But blood will increase its potency and power. Do you understand?"  
Viperish Night returns his mentors stare, and a chill runs down his spine. Blood. He drops his eyes to the unconscious bandit as mentor continues talking.  
"Your claws will do if you have no knife," Mentor says, and Viperish Night stares at him in shock. "He is unconscious..." Viperish Night trails off. "He is bad. But also unconscious!" He hisses, and his tail thrashes behind him. Still... he takes out a knife from his bag. His mentor knows best. His mentor has to know best. Viperish Night is alone and lost without him.   
"This time, I'll do it for you," Mentor says. "But do not think I will let your squeamish go next time. You need to learn." His mentor takes the knife from Viperish Night's hands and Viperish Night watches in puzzlement and unease. His mentor can walk through doors, vanish, and travel at will but still can hold a knife, a staff. Spirits of dry scales were strange indeed. He was suddenly glad Argonian's had no such things. It was far too strange... he curls his claws and watches his mentor. Should he stop this? No... he trusted his mentor... did he not? The bandit was bad... Viperish Night hisses softly trembling, as his mentor cuts the bandit's throat. There is so much blood. And then he hisses louder as he feels the power crackling around him. What is this? The power he felt before when using his necromancy but even stronger. He shudders under it, then does the only thing he can think of to do, he releases it. The dead bandit rises, and the sounds of other things rising come from outside the house. Viperish Night staggers up, flings open the door. Fallen bandits are rising, Crocodile bones from the muddy ground surge to life from the muck glowing with an unholy light. And he is in total control of them, of all of them! His thoughts are scrambled, however, but one thought rises out to the dead. Bandits are bad. The one thought Viperish Night clings to in this storm of power and horror as he watched his mentor kill that bandit in cold blood. And so, the dead turn on the living bandits, ripping them apart with swords and fangs. When it is over, Viperish Night sinks to his knees, the lingering traces of necromancy crackling and fading as the dead turn to dust.   
"You see now." His mentor says from behind him. "The power of blood and death. You could claim anything you desire if you only will it!"   
"What of the cost?" Viperish Night asks weakly.   
"The cost is nothing compared to the rewards," Mentor says. "You are lucky, Viperish Night. Your cost will be much less than other necromancers pay."  
"Why?" Viperish Night asks, looking back at his mentor. But instead of answering, his mentor just vanishes. "Why does he always do that..." Viperish Night says as he rises, staggering slightly, drained. He walks outside to see the chaos he has wrought. Bandits were bad... but did even they deserve this? He did not mean to do this... "Seriana." He whispers to the wind. "I have harmed now. I did not mean to..."   
Viperish Night shudders and races across the platoon, only coming to rest under a small grove of trees, where he collapses, his heart beating wildly. He curls up in the grass. "I did not mean to." He whispers into the grass. As if the plants can hear him, or forgive. But neither did they judge, and he falls into a restless sleep.

Viperish Night rises the next morning, the sunlight warm on his scales. But even the warmth of the sun cannot dispel the cold in his heart that last night left. Necromancy... was it worth this? Did he even have a choice? It always had been with him. He could not get rid of it. Only hide it or learn to use it. And hiding it had not helped him in the least. He still had been rejected, banished, cut off from the Hist, which was so much apart of an Argonian. He wanted to learn to use it. He just did not want to use it as his mentor did. Viperish Night looks out at the morning, in the land that was still so strange to him. He would continue down this river. But he would try to have more control. Try to not let the power get out of control, least the dead do what they did last night. He looks to the west. Rivenspire's border lay to the west. Perhaps it was best he leave Stormhold. He would head northwest and find a caravan to take him to the border. 

Viperish Night staggers back from the huge black furry thing that angrily roars at him. Bears! He had heard someone mention them, then forgotten. Viperish Night had gotten lost trying to find the main road and stumbled into their territory by mistake. And these bears were so very territorial. He had tried to flee, but everywhere he had gone, they had been there, growling angry and huffing in their throats before charging at him with teeth and claws and mighty roars. He panted, tired from running, and his staff had been snapped in two from the last one he ran into. And worse, he could hear the roar of ogres nearby. He backs away from the newest bear, as it charges him and he crashes to the ground, the beast leaping at him.   
"NO!" Viperish Night snarls. This beast would not eat him! Blood drips from his arm onto the ground from its claws, and as the blood sinks into the ground, Viperish Night's necromancy bursts out, and 2 bear skeletons burst from the ground, exploding up into a shower of dirt and rock. They turned on the living bear, making short work of it before turning and waiting for Viperish Night's next command. Viperish Night sits up, picking the remains of his staff from the ground.   
"SKELETON BEARS?" A startled voice rings out. Viperish Night's head snaps to the side. A male Breton is staring at the skeleton bears, and his gaze snaps to Viperish Night. "Necromancer!" He yells.  
"No..." Wait that was a lie, Viperish Night thought to himself. But mentor told him not to let anyone see! "They just appeared. I did not do it." Viperish Night lies, feeling guilty about telling an untruth.  
The Breton backs away, then flees into the trees. He did not believe Viperish Night's words. They had been lies. Viperish Night sighs and gets up. Best not tell mentor about this either. He thinks guilty as he dispels the bears. The rustling of bushes from the direction the dry scale ran causes him to spin around, another bear? But nothing is there. Perhaps it's just his nerves and the wind, Viperish Night thinks.   
Viperish Night finds a caravan nearby and settles in for the trip to the border. The whole way he expects guards to halt the horse-drawn wagon, for them to arrest him. Or kill him. What do they do to necromancers? But not a single thing happens, and Viperish Night's worries slowly die down as the border appears up ahead. It's time to leave Stormhold.


	5. Act 1 - Bloodticks

Rivenspire is a place of high crags, withered trees, and an eerie gloom. Viperish Night looks around after crossing through the mountain border. He's suddenly glad he found a merchant with staffs for sale before entering here. Viperish Night travels down the road, to a town under siege. Soldiers are camped out all around the town, and Viperish Night can feel the dead and dying, and something else that Viperish Night has never felt before. His eyes look into the gloom of the night as he moves to a group of rocks, and crouches by one, the eerie howls of wolfs echoing all around him. What were they? Viperish Night thinks. Not zombies, or skeletons. Something else. At the border, he had been warned to travel carefully, or perhaps return to Stormhaven. Rivenspire was under the threat of civil war. But this was more than a simple civil war. There was dark magic in the air.   
A howl of agony slices through the air, a wolf in danger, in pain. One of the strange undead Viperish Night felt was near where the howl at come from. Viperish Night leaps up and dashes up the hill, but he's too late. The wolf lies dead and whatever killed her had already fleed. And nearby was a cub, tossed carelessly into a rock by whatever had killed the mother. Viperish Night kneels by the little one's side. "Far too young." He whispers to the fallen cub. Too much death, far too much. Viperish Night's emotions spark and without even meaning to his necromancy seeps out and raises the cub, who opens its eyes, an eerie blue, and utters a heartbreaking unnatural cry. With a shocked growl, Viperish Night recoils and quickly releases the cub from its unnatural life so it may rest in peace.   
A gasp and Viperish Night turns to see a male Breton fleeing down the hill. He was seen, again. Viperish Night dashes down the hill and nearly stumbles, just as the Breton had, for he lies sprawled on the ground, blooding pooling under his head, eyes forever open in death. "I did not mean to..." Viperish Night whispers sadly. He had to be more careful. More in control! A glow catches his eye that he had missed when racing down the hill and he turns. His mentor is standing nearby, and Viperish Night hangs his head. Mentor had seen! He sighs, and though he wants to run the other way, he heads over to his mentor.   
"I am sorry." Viperish Night tells mentor when he reaches his side.   
"Do not be SEEN!" Mentor snaps at him and Viperish Night shies away from his mentor's angry shout. "You are lucky he fell. They will come after you and kill you!" He continues, then puts his hand to his forehead and sighs. "I am just preparing you, Viperish Night. After Rivenspire is Alik'r. The Redguards do not tolerate necromancers, even more so than the Bretons. They view their fallen as sacred. Religious fever of the dead... worthless. But deadly to you. They will put you to the sword if they find out about your necromancy."  
"Yes, Mentor." Viperish Night says. "I am trying."  
"Try harder." Mentor commands. "Now be gone with you! I have no patience to teach you anything tonight after this stupidity!" Mentor vanishes, leaving Viperish Night alone again.  
Viperish Night sighs dejectedly, and moves on, wanting to put distance between him and the dead Breton. It was his fault, but he did not mean to... He comes to some stunted trees and curls up beneath them. They are small and devoid of any leaves, unlike the trees in Glenumbra and Stormhaven, but they still were trees. Viperish Night liked to sleep under trees, they eased him. A thought suddenly creeps through his mind as he starts to fall asleep, like a snake. His mentor had been so very angry. As if he knew about the other times he'd been seen. But that was impossible. Mentor never mentioned it. He would have lectured Viperish Night about it before now. Distraught, he gets up. He cannot sleep, and he wants to be farther from the Stormhaven border, farther from the poor little wolf and the Breton. It was an accident, but it was his fault the man was dead. Viperish Night wanders the night, he was to head north to Shornhelm but his thoughts wander and his feet take him far west. He wanders all night, till it's almost dawn. Exhausted he curls up on a rock by some trees and falls asleep.

A strange chittering sound wakes him, and Viperish Night opens his eyes and freezes on his rock. There are spiders all around him. Huge brown and orange with venomous fangs and spitting venom. Viperish Night's eyes dart around. Picking a place to sleep in near-total darkness had been a very bad idea. The grove he had stumbled into was full of huge nets of spider threads and cocoons of preserved food, some disturbingly humanoid-shaped. Viperish Night was about to rise and use his fire magic on the spiders when he hears a new sound, chittering but so very much louder. His eyes move to the center of the grove. A massive white monster of a spider lurks there, surrounded by her brood. Viperish Night hisses low, then slinks off his rock and hugs the stone walls as he heads out of the grove. Unbeknownst to him, his mentor has appeared and is watching him curiously.  
"You could have taken out all of them," Mentor says. "When will you learn how strong you can be?" Viperish Night's head turns, almost as if he heard a voice, but mentor vanishes before Viperish Night can notice him.

Out of the fire... Viperish Night finds himself surrounded by wolfs. He had been watching the spiders so closely he failed to notice the wolfs until he was in their midst. He stares at the growling angry wolfs. First, he angers his master more than he ever has, scared a man to his death, slept in a spider lair by mistake, and now this? Did the river hate him? Viperish Night could thrust his staff down, surging lightning through the wolf's bodies and that would end this threat. But he finds himself thinking about the cub, and with a huff he flops onto the ground, looking up at the morning. "I give up. Eat me." Not that he wants to be eaten, but the thought of causing more death right now makes him sick. He can't bear it. Perhaps they will just nibble on him a bit and leave. The wolfs around him whine, confused. And then sensing that Viperish Night is no longer a threat, they stop growling and flop to the ground all around him. Viperish Night blinks. This is strange. Strange but nice. He relaxes with the wolfs, his heartbeat slowly returns to normal. He vows to be more careful in the future and after a short rest, he slowly rises and leaves his new furry friends behind.

Viperish Night ends up in Crestshade that night, and he finally finds the strange undead creatures he had sensed his first night in Rivenspire. The town was covered with them, and there was no trace of living souls. Viperish Night had found a ruined wall to climb, and he leans against a tree for balance as he studies them. Dry scales, but not as they had been. Dead and yet not. They acted like ravenous beasts, growling and snarling and they crouched by dead villages, feeding on their blood. Viperish Night stares down at them, consumed by horror and curiously.   
"Bloodfiends." A voice near him causes Viperish Night to flinch and nearly fall from his perch. Strong hands grab his arms and pull him back.  
"Thank you." Viperish Night says as he looks at his rescuer. An Altmer mage with medium brown hair, though it is his eyes that draw Viperish Night's gaze. His eyes are a startling crimson color, and he feels similar to the bloodfiends down below. "What are you?" Viperish Night asks as the cloud above bursts and rain starts to fall.   
Thunder booms and lightning flash as the Altmer holds out his hands. "I mean you no harm." He cautions Viperish Night. "I am Count Verandis Ravenwatch. I am a vampire."  
Vampire... Viperish Night has only heard rumors of such creatures. Bloodthirsty fiends with eerie abilities. He looks down at the bloodfiends and back at Count Verandis in curiosity. Similar, but so very different. He would not have remembered the rumors he heard when seeing the bloodfiends. "I am Viperish Night." He finally says as he sorts out what he feels from both these creatures. Similar, but different. One little more than a rabid beast driven by hunger, one intelligent and in control.  
"Viperish Night," Count Verandis says. "You should leave Crestshade. It is not safe for you here. Although..." He closely looks at Viperish Night.   
"Although what?" Viperish Night asks back, wishing to shrink back from Count Verandis's intense gaze.  
"...Nevermind." Count Verandis says. "It is not important right now."  
"Yes, I will leave." Viperish Night says. He's far too used to dry scales not telling him anything. And something about the way Count Verandis stares at him deeply unsettles him. As if he can see into Viperish Night.

Later after leaving the cursed town of Crestshade, Viperish Night sits in the camp he made to wait out the remainder of the night. "Mentor." He softly whispers, calling out to his mentor. Will he come? Viperish Night never tried this before. His mentor appears a few minutes later, and Viperish Night looks up at him from his sitting position on the ground. "Vampires." Viperish Night says. "Bloodfiends. Tell me more, please."   
Mentor sits down, showing none of the anger from before. "This land is besit with them," Mentor says. "I do not know the whole story, but it involves Baron Montclair and his family. They control an Ayleid relic that can create bloodfiends with such ease. As for vampires and bloodfiends in general..." Mentor explains to Viperish Night about the nature of vampires and what he knows about Rivenspire. Viperish Night absorbs the information, quietly listening. When mentor is done explaining, Viperish Night thinks to himself. Vampires here in Rivenspire were different than in other places. Ravenous bloodthirsty fiends, many beyond reason, made in mere minutes by the energy of this strange relic and the ones who control it. The fact the Montclair's do this was disgraceful, but also interesting. Turn your enemy into your allies, abid savage animalistic creatures. Very interesting, but very very terrifying all the same.   
"Can...bloodfiends be controlled by necromancers?" Viperish Night asks, curious.   
Mentor chuckles. "Of course, Viperish Night. To an extent of course. The bloodfiends are mindless beasts, but true vampires, these are usually beyond control. Still... perhaps if a necromancer was strong enough, perhaps even vampires." Then his expression turns seriously. "Viperish Night," he says, looking at him. "You could take on more than you do. Why flee when you can annihilate the threats before you?"   
Viperish Night is silent for long moments. Why would his mentor ask him such? Why would be want to destroy when another way presented itself? But this was not the answer his mentor wanted. He deflected, as best he could. "I need more practice." Viperish Night, at last, says, looking down.   
"Very well, Viperish Night. For now." Mentor rises. "We will continue your lessons after you reach Shorhelm. Once you get your fill of the city, head out and I will find you. He vanishes, leaving Viperish Night alone in the night, and very unsettled. His mentor knew about the spiders he slunk from and the wolfs he befriended? Was he always watching? He could not always be watching. Viperish Night hisses as he settles in to try to sleep with such thoughts floating through his mind.

Just on the outskirts of Shorhelm, Count Verandis found Viperish Night. Viperish Night faces the silent vampire, as the count studies him. Count Verandis finally speaks. "Necromancer... why are you in Rivenspire?"  
Viperish Night freezes, hissing low. How did this mer know that? He has done nothing recently. Could vampires sense what he was, as he could sense what they were?   
"You are a strange one." Count Verandis continues. "My second in command Adusa-daro saw you as you came from the spider-infested glen. You harmed no spiders, even sat amongst the wolfs, and they accepted you." His eyes lock onto Viperish Night. "I think you mean no harm, so I will not turn you in. If, you assist me that is."  
Viperish Night hisses. Is this vampire blackmailing him?  
"Just help us find the Montclair's bloodfiend nests." Count Verandis asks. "End them yourself, or call on my house to do so."   
"Why me?" Viperish Night asks.  
"I am having trouble tracking them." Count Verandis admits. "I think you can, Necromancer." He pauses. "Viperish Night, I protect Rivenspire. It is my home. And this current situation..." He trails off. "Let us just say I am not without some blame for this. I tried to help someone, and it ended badly." He moves closer to Viperish Night. "I do not think you want to see Rivenspire overrun by bloodfiends. Am I right about this? Are you something other than the typical necromancer?"  
Viperish Night studies Count Verandis. This vampire was what most dry scales would call a monster. He could easily give in to the bloodlust and power but instead protected the land he called his home and the dry scales. He sought something other than power with his dark gifts. It is easy to make a decision. "Very well. I will seek out these bloodfiends." Viperish Night says. Strangely he almost felt a kinship with this vampire. Not all creatures of the dark wanted blood and power. He felt relive at that. Perhaps he could learn something from Count Verandis.

After the encounter with Count Verandis, the city of Shornhelm did not have much interest in Viperish Night, so he skirted the edges of it, heading out to the ruins of old Shornhelm to meet his mentor. A few scattered bloodfiends were loose in the ruins, and Viperish Night wished to learn from his mentor how to control them, so he would know how to deal with them better when he found their nests.  
Viperish Night hisses as he struggles to control the Bloodfiend. He had found one near the ruins, and drawn it in where his mentor waited. Unlike the dead, this creature had a will of its own, even if that will was nothing more than a starving beast. Keeping it under his control was difficult.   
"Enough, for now." Mentor finally says, and Viperish Night releases the bloodfiend, and finishes the poor creature off with fire, before resting. He tells his mentor about Count Verandis, and what the vampire wants from him, though he keeps thoughts of learning from the count to himself.   
"Yes, Viperish Night." Mentor finally says."You should know more about vampires and bloodfiends. Help him, as you've agreed to do."

Viperish Night crouched on a rock above the entrance to a town called Moria's Hope. He had been drawn here by the bloodfiends and vampires. There were so very many. And so few townsfolk left alive. All the living was in a barn, guarded by one lone Khajiit. The Khajiit was a vampire, and she guarded the dry scales, protecting them. She must be part of Ravenwatch's house. Viperish Night's eyes narrow. It is only a matter of time before the bloodfiends finish drinking the corpses of the townsfolk, or the Montclair vampires found the survivors. The problem though remained the same. So very very many. Viperish Night stares at the barn, no windows. No way for the villagers to see out. And the Khajiit must be with the count. She must know of him. What he was. Viperish Night sighs softly. At least it was night. To many to take control of, even one had yet been near too much for him at this point. Not enough dead that was not bloodfiends or vampires either. Viperish Night thinks as an idea comes to him. Skeevers and trolls. They could be the answer. Near the town, there had been so very many of both. And that meant dead skeevers and trolls. But it was some distance away, and the numbers may be too much for him to control. "So very many problems." Viperish Night sighs to himself.   
A low vicious growling from behind him alerts him the moment the bloodfiend leaps at him, having climbed up further on the rock face to get at Viperish Night, and his living blood. He crashes into Viperish Night, sending both flying down to hit the ground below. Viperish Night's staff flies from his hands and the bloodfiends fangs and claws scrape his scales, trying to get to the blood beneath. Viperish Night hisses, struggling with the bloodfiend. He finally gets the upper hand, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him against the cliff face, snatching up his staff with his other hand. "Bloated like a tick." Viperish Night hisses. "Your blood will work." His mentor's words float back to him. His claws will do. He grips the bloodfiend and its blood and the blood it has stolen drips onto the ground. Viperish Night reaches out with his necromancy, farther than he ever has before, and the dead answer his call, his will. Into town, they stream, a wave of skeever skeletons setting upon the bloodfiends and ripping them apart with their sheer numbers. The vampires are stronger and faster, but right behind the wave of skeevers comes troll skeletons, and their powerful hands rip the vampires to pieces. Viperish Night watches a cold look in his eyes. The power of necromancy and blood has covered him in icy cold. Finally, the last of the bloodfiends and vampires are destroyed and Viperish Night releases the trolls and skeevers to their eternal rest. A deathly silence falls over the town as Viperish Night shudders, closing his eyes. It almost seems as if he's on the verge of tears. The Khajiit vampire comes running to him.  
"This one asks if you are Viperish Night." She asks him when she gets close enough.   
Viperish Night nods, opening his eyes to focus on the Khajiit. "Yes." He rasps. "I will find more of these bloodfiends." He turns his eyes on the town. Almost everyone who lived here is dead. There is nothing left but sorrow and the cold of the grave. "This... should not happen."  
"This one agrees." The Khajiit says softly, as Viperish Night turns and walks out of town. 

Viperish Night sits among the withered trees. The night's events do not sit easily with him. Such power, such chaos, such overwhelming death. An owl lands silently on a branch over his head and hoots down at him. He looks up at the feathered creature of the night. "I feel so torn." He says to the owl. "Between life and death." Viperish Night buries his head in his hands, and the owl flutters down to rest on his shoulder. It is a comforting living weight to him. "Was the Hist right? Would I have been a blight onto my people?" He sighs. "I do not mean harm! But harm happens. I know they were bloodfiends, vampires. Wicked dry scales. But my magic tore them apart!" He lowers his hands, and the owl hoots softly. Viperish Night idly strokes the owl's talons.  
Nearby, mentor watches. "Between life and death, indeed." He says softly, curiously. "What side will you turn to?" Mentor frowns as he watches his pupil with the owl. "I must make sure it is to death you turn." He does not move towards Viperish Night, there will be no lessons tonight. What Viperish Night did at the town was... the power of it! "Yes, its death that will call strongest to you." He vanishes, just as Viperish Night's head snaps in his direction.


	6. Act 1 - River of Crimson

Viperish Night had found several more small nests of the bloodfiends, guarded by the Montclair vampires. In caves, abandoned houses. Small enough for him to take care of himself, with much simpler measures. Moria's Hope still haunted him. Viperish Night can still feel the bloodfiends neck beneath his claws, the burning blood as it dripped down calling on deathly magics. The icy cold that had gripped him as he watched the results of his necromancy slaughter the bloodfiends and vampires alike. If he ever unleashed that power and lost control near a city that was not just bloodfiend monsters... the results would be beyond thinking about. He was very glad these were small enough to take care of with fireballs, or a few skeletons. He did not have to call on the level of magic that brought on the rush of power, the icy cold.

Another nest, this one far larger in the rocky mountainous hills near the ocean. Viperish Night could sense them even though the thick rocks. He was not sure how many there were inside. Just that there was more than the smaller nest he had cleaned out. Viperish Night swims inside from the sea, diving under to find an underwater cave that leads inside. He rises from the water and hides behind a group of rocks, water streaming from his scales. "There are so very many bloodfiends," he whispers. More than he thought. How could he take on this many? He needed to swim back out, and contact Count Verandis, and his house. But before he can do so, he suddenly freezes, his mentor's words echoing in his head. He could take on more than he thought. Could he not? He took on all the bloodfiends and vampires in Moria's Hope. He hesitated, but how could he hesitate? Just because he feared how the power felt? These bloodfiends would descend on nearby towns and decimate them! Viperish Night narrows his eyes. He will stay. He will destroy this nest. But a problem remains, there is no fallen in these underground caves. No bones he can call upon. Viperish Night's eyes focus on the nearest Bloodfiend. The creature was so hungry... a burning hunger that never ceased. "The bloodfiends are food..." Viperish Night hisses at the bloodfiend, focusing his necromantic will on the bloodfiend. The bloodfiend stiffens, howls, and surges toward the other bloodfiends, viciously attacking one of them. The whole cavern goes mad as if the will Viperish Night pushed on the bloodfiend is contagious. The bloodfiends are tearing each other apart, drinking each other's blood in a mad frenzy of blood and death. Viperish Night feels sick. These poor creatures used to be living beings with lives, family. They deserved a more merciful death than this. Viperish Night stands, watching the carnage, a chill going down his spine. Once more, his power has caused such devastation. Even if it was necessary. "I am sorry." Viperish Night whispers, lowering his head.   
"You will be." Viperish Night's head snaps up, one of the Montclair vampires has appeared in the cavern, drawn by the sudden chaos. But no, she was not like any of the vampires he had fought before. This vampire was strong, so very strong, like an ocean to a tidepool. The bloodfiends halt, and as one turns toward Viperish Night. "Feed on this Argonian fool!" She commands, and the horde of bloodfiends surges at Viperish Night.  
"Oh no..." Viperish Night whispers, then slams his staff on the ground, creating a wall of flames in front of him. The bloodfiends leap into it, uncaring of the killing flames. The first ones in burst into flames and are reduced to ash, but the flames are overwhelmed by the sheer number of bloodfiends, and they leap past at Viperish Night. Viperish Night dives away, but there are bloodfiends all around him now. Fireballs take a few of them out, ore even more surge at Viperish Night in their place. Fangs latch onto Viperish Night and puncture straight through his scales to the blood within him. Viperish Night howls in agony, there are too many, ripping him apart, so much blood. His eyes start to close as he crashes onto the ground, the bloodfiends burying him.   
A wave of energy crashes into the bloodfiends, scattering them from Viperish Night. "Viperish Night, can you rise? Are you even still alive?" A voice rings out.  
Viperish Night's eyes shudder open. He knows that voice, Count Verandis is here, saving him. He staggers to his feet, blood dripping from numerous puncture wounds. "I tried." He gasps. "But she is too powerful."   
"Lleraya Montclair" Count Verandis says. "She..." Count Verandis suddenly seems lost. "No time to get into the past."   
Lleraya moves toward them, hatred in her eyes as she stares at Count Verandis. "You will fall today. And your pet lizard will be the one to end you! Her gaze locks onto Viperish Night, and the world seems to shift. Count Verandis's image wavers and changes into something else. One of the bloodthorn! One of the Bloodthorn that killed Seriana! Viperish Night snarls and grabs his staff from the ground.  
"Kill him!" Lleraya coos. "Burn him in a fiery inferno!"  
Bloodthorn's are bad. Viperish Night thinks. He felt compelled to obey. He'd prefer to rip the bloodthorn with his claws, but he will use fire as she has asked of him. Ordered him. Ordered him...  
"Break the spell, Viperish Night!" Despair in the voice that calls to him. Despair because he will die? Viperish Night hesitates. Or because... he thinks I cannot...  
Viperish Night suddenly snarls, his claws tighten on his staff. He slams it down. "I control the dead, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!" he screams, and the illusion snaps and shatters. Lleraya hisses at him, and flees, moving so very fast. Too fast to catch.   
Count Verandis turns to Viperish Night, seeing the number of bite wounds and the blood dripping onto the stone ground, his eyes fill with horror and just a little repressed hunger. He moves to Viperish Night's side, touching his skin. "Not infected." He says finally, before looking at Viperish Night. "You broke her hold, you are not infected and Adusa-daro told me what you did at Moria's Hope."   
Viperish Night can hear the wonder in Count Verandis's voice. "I am very strange." He says. "So very different from anyone else. I do not know why."  
"Hmm..." Count Verandis musses. "Perhaps when this Montclair business is set aside, I can assist you with finding out. But for now... I'll open a portal to my manor. You need help with those injuries of yours."  
Viperish Night just nods. So very tired. The bloodfiends took so much of his blood. He had tried to do far too much this time. Count Verandis opens a portal and Viperish Night takes a step towards it before blackness consumes him and he falls, Count Verandis just managing to catch him. 

Viperish Night wakes only a moment, looking up at the Khajiit vampire as she cares for him. This must be Adusa-daro... he closes his eyes and darkness takes him once more.  
The next time he wakes he sees his mentor quietly standing over him. "Tried to do too much." He says softly.   
"Not fully into your power yet..." Mentor says in return. "You seem... uninfected. Immunity..."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes, he's still so very tired. Just a little more rest.  
Viperish Night wakes once more and sits up. His injuries are closed up and he feels rested. He gets up, finding new mage robes resting by his staff. Dry Scales could be so kind. Count Verandis and his house had saved him and helped him. He dresses and leaves the bedroom.  
Adusa-daro runs toward him. "This one is glad to see you well!" She says. "But for Count Verandis I need to ask you to help us one last time."  
"One last time?" Viperish Night asks.  
"Count Verandis has traveled out to confront Baron Montclair at Doomcrag to stop him from using the Lightless Remnant. There is no time to explain further, this one can expect your help to stop this bloodfiend madness?"  
Viperish Night hisses a yes. He's seen the horror this has caused. How he had to kill so many bloodfiends, who never asked for their horrible fate. 

Doomcrag. Viperish Night stares up at it. Crimson lightning flashes and he can feel undead energy swirling around it, unnatural and all-consuming. So much power... He felt as if it would overwhelm him, drag him down into icy dark waters.  
"This energy..., is it necromancy?" Viperish Night asks quietly as Count Verandis comes alongside him. Quietly because there are other dry scales here. Ones that may rule Rivenspire soon.  
Count Verandis gives him a look Viperish Night cannot decipher. "What is it you feel, Viperish Night?" he asks.  
"The energy it emits feels almost familiar." Viperish Night says. "I do not know if it's because it is close to necromancy or because it is what I feel from the bloodfiends."  
"We are going to have much to discuss after this." Count Verandis muses.   
Then there is no more time for discussions for the march up the crag begins, with Count Verandis and his house Gwendis, and Adusa-daro, Viperish Night, and the two would be rulers Baron Dorell, Countess Tamrith and their armies. Guardians of the crag fight them along the way, ancient skeletons created to protect this place from any intruders. But at last, they near the summit. 

As they approach the summit, everything seems to pulse a hellish red. The energy from the Lightless Remnant sweeps over them like an ocean wave, and Count Verandis barely manages to shield the Baron and the Countess from it. The armies are not so lucky. The wave of energy transforms every single one of them into rabid bloodfiends. Viperish Night feels the energy wash over him, death, and ice and blood. But unlike the dry scales, he does not succumb to it. I can swim in this river... Viperish Night thinks to himself as he turns to the army of bloodfiends racing toward them. Adusa-daro and Gwendis grab the baron and the countess, taking them to safety, allowing no witnesses save for Count Verandis, and he already knew. Viperish Night's claws flash out as a bloodfiend leaps at him, the blow catches the bloodfiend across the jugular, spilling his lifeblood on the ground at Viperish Night's feet, and Viperish Night reaches out to the ancient skeleton guardians. So very many of them, in every dark corner of this hellish place. And he had to use them. Had to kill the dry scales that had been their allies. So Viperish Night lets the icy necromantic power wash over him and commands the skeletons to destroy the bloodfiends. The bloodfiends are intruders. They all need to die.  
When at last the sounds of battle are over, only Viperish Night and Count Verandis are left. The bloodfiends are destroyed, and the skeletons fade to dust, at last at rest from their eternal servitude of guarding this place.  
"There is truly no way to save them..." Viperish Night finally says when at last the icy power leaves him.  
"We must stop Baron Montclair and the Lightless Remnant." Count Verandis says gently to Viperish Night. "It is the only way to stop this. To stop this from happening to anyone else." He turns to the stairs leading up. "We are running out of time. Come, the peak is near." Count Verandis starts to head up the stairs, then stops and turns to look at Viperish Night. "We should speak when this is over." He tells him. "There... is something I do not think you know. Something you need to know." He turns back toward the stairs and starts upward.  
Viperish Night stares after Count Verandis, confusion in his eyes. He starts after Count Verandis, wanting to ask now, but a huge crack echos from the peak, and Count Verandis darts up the stairs as fast as he can go. "No! If the remnant breaks it will send a wave of vampiric energy over Rivenspire, turning everyone into bloodfiends! Hurry Viperish Night!" He vanishes from view as he continues up the stairs.  
Viperish Night moves to follow, the vampire is so very fast, but skids to a stop as his mentor appears before him. "This is not for you," Mentor says, staring at Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night growls at his mentor. "Why?" He asks.  
"Do not question, trust," Mentor tells him.  
Viperish Night looks upward, and then at mentor. What to do? Count Verandis had saved him! But he should listen to his mentor. Before he can decide what to do, the decision is taken out of his hands as the crag explodes in a violent burst of energy. Viperish Night is knocked down, and in his vision is a flash of icy white, then rocks come smashing down at him. Just when it seems over, a portal opens under Viperish Night and he falls through to land in the dirt at the base of the crag. "Mentor, was that you? Viperish Night says as he rises slowly, coughing out dust. And then the realization hits him. The crag exploded. "Did the Lightless Remnant explode? Is all of Rivenspire vampires?" Viperish Night looks up at the crag, the entrance is buried by tons of debris. Should he still try to look for Count Verandis?  
"Count Verandis is no longer among us." Viperish Night turns to look at his mentor, who has just reappeared.   
"What happened?" Viperish Night asks, eyes pleading for an actual answer this time.   
Mentor sighs. "Attached already to Count Verandis? Really, Viperish Night, I expected better than these pointless attachments."  
Mentor was displeased again, but this time Viperish Night did not care. He wanted to know what happened to his friend! "Please." He hisses angrily.   
"Oh very well," Mentor says. "Count Verandis made a deal with his creator to teleport the Lightless Remnant to his realm, which saved Rivenspire from it shattering and turning everyone into bloodfiends. The cost is his life. He will never again be in this world."  
Dead? Is that what mentor means? The wording is strange, but Viperish Night knows better than to push farther.  
"Viperish Night," Mentor says to him. "Leave now. Rivenspire is done for you. Head to a harbor and take a ship to Alik'r. Just remember what I warned you about the Redguards."  
Viperish Night sighs softly, sadly. He will miss Count Verandis, the loss is like a claw in his side. "Very well." He says simply and turns to go. He will never know what Count Verandis was about to tell him. Never get to know him and ask how he walked the line so well between life and death. "Mentor, who is his creator?" Viperish Night asks. But his mentor has vanished, once again.


	7. Act 1 - Withered Souls

Viperish Night had quickly left by boat at the docks for Alik'r Desert. Should he have left without speaking to anyone? His mentor had said to but... He sighs softly. What would he say to Adusa-daro? He failed to help Count Verandis after he had saved Viperish's life? Just because his mentor had stopped him? True there may have been nothing he could do, it had happened so fast. But he would never know. Never get to know the vampire better, never know what he had figured out about Viperish Night that was something Viperish Night did not know. Viperish Night hangs his head. Why did his mentor stop him? To save him for another reason? Sometimes he was not sure his mentor had his best intentions at heart. But he was all Viperish Night had, and he had taught him so much. Why do doubts about his mentor keep rearing up? He needed to shake them off. And he needed to control his emotions better. Alik'r and the Redguards. He could not slip why amongst them. The thought suddenly stops him, and he raises his head to stare at the sea. His life was a river of rapids and rocks. Back in the marsh when the Hist turned its back on him, he wanted to die at that moment. But even though life was infinitely harder now, he did not want that fate. He wanted to live. He wanted to find his river.

As the boat nears Sentinal's docks, Viperish Night stares into the night at the upcoming land. There is necromantic magic near, it raises his scales. Zombies, someone is raising zombies! But how, from what he knew, Alik'r was protected from necromancers doing that very thing. He hisses slightly and grips the railing as the boat nears the docks.   
The Redguard warned the boat to turn around, for no one to depart at this time. Ra-Netu was surging from the sea to attack the city. Zombies, just as Viperish Night had felt. And no one was doing anything to stop it. For the Redguard's superstition forbade them from striking their honored ancestors down, lest they are cursed. Viperish Night ignores the warning and leaps onto the docks. "I will fight them." He hisses. "I fear no superstition, these are not my dead."   
The Ra-Netu are still streaming from the ocean, called by dark necromantic forces. Viperish Night unleashes fire to send the undead back to their rest as he trails the thread of necromantic power back to the cause. He finally found what he was looking for, just past the docks. The man behind the ritual, the necromancer who called those lost at sea to fight for him.  
Viperish Night and the necromancer stand facing each other. The necromancer is puzzled. "You are a necromancer. Why stop me?"   
Viperish Night studies the man. He's disrupting the dead's rest, but Viperish Night has done that as well. Under his mentor's commands. To save people's lives and stop the bloodfiends. In defense, in sorrow, in uncontrolled emotion. How was he any different than this man? Perhaps he was not, but he would not let him drag the undead from the sea to drown the city behind him. "Why do you do this?" Viperish Night asks in return.  
"We are the Withered Hand." The necromancer refuses to say anything more. Another who fails to answer Viperish Night's questions. Viperish Night's eyes narrow. This one had to be a follower. Murder and madness indeed, just as that Breton captain had told him. He summons the Ra-Netu to attack, and Viperish Night cracks his staff down, lightning bolts consuming the necromancer. The Ra-Natu fall and the night is at peace once more. 

Viperish Night decides to avoid Sentinal for now. He is uneasy in this land and is uncertain about controlling his emotions when he's so uneasy, so he walks into the desert night. It is very cool and a slight wind blows from the east. It's also so very dry. His scales are already parched from this arid land. And when the sun rises, it will be very very hot.   
As Viperish Night continues across the desert under the moons, the wind increases in strength, and by dawn, it is a raging sandstorm. Viperish Night falls to the ground from the force of the winds. He had been looking for shelter from the storm, but he did not expect this kind of storm. He rolls in a ball as the sandstorm rages, the sand slowly burying him alive.   
The winds howl finally dies down and Viperish Night starts to dig his way out. He can scarcely breathe and he's not sure which way is up. "Help." He asks. And as if to answer his prayers, a light scratching sound comes from above Viperish Night's head. He digs his way up following the sound and finally breaches, taking a deep breath of fresh air. A furry snout sticks itself in Viperish Night's face, licking his snout. Viperish Night blinks the sand from his eyes to see a small furry canine-like creature. Its pelt is the same sandy brown of the desert sand, and it has large ears and a poofy tail. Viperish Night extracts himself from the sand and pulls out a piece of dried meat. "You are a..." Viperish Night thinks. He's seen these before, or similar ones anyway back in Glenumbra. "Fox!" he says finally and holds out the dried meat to the fox, who eagerly snaps it up. "Hmm..." Viperish Night muses, turning his head to the side. His mentor has appeared. The fox yelps at mentor and runs behind Viperish Night, hiding underneath his tail. Mentor is looking at him in confusion.  
"What are you doing with that fox? Do I even want to know?" Mentor says.  
"He was trying to dig me out." Viperish Night explains. "I was thanking him."  
"Thanking..." Mentor looks even more confused. "Really? Thanking a beast? Next thing I know, you'll be thanking the skeletons you raise. Are you at least going to kill the thing so you can practice? Such a simple thing to practice on, though."  
Viperish Night hisses, and the fox yelps again and runs off into the desert. "I do not kill something that tries to help me." Viperish Night says and watches the fox run off into the desert. Since he's watching the fox leave, he does not see the contempt on his mentor's face.  
"You told me to be careful here." Viperish Night says. "I am not practicing. I do not know where is safe yet."  
"So you can listen," Mentor says. "That will save me some trouble. Though too long without practice... You do need to work on your emotional control."  
Viperish Night is tempted to growl. No matter what he does, he hardly ever pleases his mentor. His mentor... only seems pleased when he embraces the necromancy and shows off the power he has inside. He closes his eyes. Perhaps not growling is best. He can control himself! If only... because he hates scaring people so badly. And hates the way they look at him. As if he's an abomination. Why do people act this way toward necromancers? He knows the Wormcult is trying to do something awful. He knows the ones that killed Seriana are bad as well. But since he has only talked to one necromancer at length... An idea comes to him. It was madness and perhaps even wrong. But he needed to know more necromancers than just his mentor. He wanted to know what drove them. If it was power like it was to his mentor or the madness of following someone. He opens his eyes to look at his mentor. "I wish to join the Withered Hand." He declares.  
This was not something his mentor ever expected him to say. He studies Viperish Night. "Dangerous, Viperish Night. Very dangerous. If you are caught or seen. An Argonian necromancer is very very noticeable, rememberable. Still..." he smiles. "Do as you like, Viperish Night. It could be a good lesson for you, and you will have a safe place to practice, amongst them."

Near the town of Bergama, Viperish Night perches on a rock formation. The last rays of the sun shimmer on his scales and the scurrying of scorpions and dunerippers carry up from below on the hot sand. Viperish Night has been watching the Witchered Hand lurk around the city limits since he got here. His mentor had told him more of what had been going on in Alik'r. The Withered Hand's leaders were a family of powerful necromancers bent on revenge for the death of their father.   
Revenge and followers. Not the best teachers. But Viperish Night is determined to see this through. He has to understand more about necromancers. He needs more than his mentor to show him. A red-tailed falcon cries overhead and swoops down to land in a nearby desert tree. In the distance, a rending howl as one of Molag Bol's anchors drop. The Redguards would have their hands full. Viperish Night pulls his hood tight over his head and raises a faceguard to cover his reptilian snout. As night falls, he searches the desert, finding what he's looking for. A fallen scorpion, decaying just under the stand. With a wave of his staff, the scorpion rises, eyes glowing with necromantic energy. Viperish Night sends it scurrying to one of the Withered Hand, and he watches as the hooded figure starts at the undead scorpion glowing with an unearthly light. The scorpion turns, scurrying back to Viperish Night with the Withered Hand following. They climb up the rocks to stand before Viperish Night, cautious. Viperish Night can see he's a mid-age male Redguard.  
"You are no Redguard." He says to Viperish Night.   
Viperish Night studies this man. Redguard that go against all tradition and superstition, that follow the path of death. "No" He hisses. He keeps any hesitation about his plan out of his voice. This plan is raising his scales, these are bad men. But all he knows of necromancy is from his mentor. He wants to know more than one point of view. So he can decide his path. He thinks his mentor may be displeased by his reasoning. Best not to mention it. Mentor has helped him, but he has also done unsetting things. Said unsetting things. Viperish Night was no longer sure he could trust him completely. "But I am a necromancer." He continues. "I wish to join the Withered Hand."   
The Redguard looks at him up and down. "You have no allegiance with us, with Suturah's family or with this land and our cause."   
"I do not care about your cause." Viperish Night hisses. "I wish to simply know more. You will have the use of my claws and magic. Fair deal." Viperish Night is pleased he sounds more confident than he is.  
The Redguard thinks. "...I will speak to the others. Wait here a moment, necromancer." The man leaps down to talk to the other Withered Hand and Viperish Night waits for him to return. When he does he motions for Viperish Night to come with him. "Come, necromancer. Prove your worth. Then I'll take you to our leaders."

Viperish Night is unsettled. He has done nothing bad, but the Withered Hand has him picking up corpses. They had tunnels that lead to the Magister's house. They had a deal with him, he provided them with corpses, they paid him for it. The bodies did not bother him, but how they might have died did. And the fact the Withered Hand was collecting them. They wanted an army. Which meant they wished to make war on the current king of Alik'r.   
He helps them take the corpse through the tunnels to store them on covered wagons pulled by camels. It is halfway through the night before they are done. The Withered Hand members give him uneasy near hostile looks. They do not trust him. And he should not trust them either.   
They take the corpses to a long-forgotten crypt deep in the desert. It brims with necromantic energy and Viperish Night perks up. He has noticed the Redguards consecrate their dead religiously. The dead here are consecrate warriors, which should be impossible, but somehow they have done it. "How?" Viperish Night whispers to himself as they enter the crypt carrying the bodies in and placing them to be prepared in a pit. The consecrated risen was all around, guardians to the Withered Hand's base. Viperish Night walks up to one and studies it. Still, he cannot figure out how they did this. "How?" He whispers again. Even he could not raise the dead that is protected.   
"The Ansei wards. They protect this land and we stole them. Corrupted them." Viperish Night turns to see a Redguard woman with tightly braided hair has come up behind him, along with several members of the Withered Hand.   
"Not a spy." He hisses, lowering his head, feeling the threat indicated at him. "Just curious."  
"So they've told me." The woman says. "I am Shiri, and just who are you, Argonian?"  
Viperish Night pauses. He could make up a name. Lie in other words. But they would find out. "Viperish Night," He says. "I wish to know more necromancers. I know so very few."  
"You are a strange one." She says, causing Viperish Night to sigh.  
"So many people have said similar things to me." Viperish Night says.  
Shiri considers him. "Obey mine or my brother's orders. Betray us and we'll kill you and use your bones to slaughter our enemies." She pauses before continuing. "Mi'kr told me you rose a scorpion with no preparation of the body."  
Viperish Night shrugs. "Innate talent. Though risen without preparation do not last long in battle." He explains. A lie, but if they knew his true power they certainly would try and make him do very bad things. He was more here to learn why they used their necromancy in such ways not to add to the chaos they cause.  
"Very well..." Shiri says. "But do head my warning. Now go help prepare the bodies."  
Dismissed he moves to the pit. He can raise the dead without such methods, but his mentor had taught him thus, anyway. 

The Withered Hand is so very devoted to their leaders. Viperish Night observes. "Lizard!" Viperish Night turns his head. They insist on calling him that. He has gathered none of them trust him all that much. And there is always at least one following him everywhere he goes. They must either think he's a spy or thinks he has other motives. Dry scales are so complicated. He gets up to see what they want him to do now.  
Turns out they want him and K'elber to collect more bodies. There are reports of a carven getting lost in Ogre's buff and falling victim to the multitude of giant venomous serpents that live there.   
The two collect the bodies of the fallen travelers, but the last one they find is still alive. K'elber kneels at the traveler's side, reaching into his robes. Is he going for antivenom? Viperish Night wonders, but instead, K'elber takes out a knife. "No use wasting antivenom on this thing." He says. Viperish Night hisses and his hand snakes out, his claws grabbing onto K'elber's arm.  
"Bring in the dead." He says softly. "Not make the dead."   
K'elber pulls his arm from Viperish Night's grip. "Idiot lizard!" He snarls. "What kind of necromancer are you?  
Viperish Night sighs. He must learn about these Withered Hand. But... he has watched an unconscious man's throat slip before. He will not watch again. Viperish Night knees down and lays his hand on the ground and it trembles. K'elber leaps up and starts to back away. A skeleton serpent rises from the ground and strikes like lightning at K'elber, sinking bone fangs into his jugular. A spray of blood fills the air, hitting the ground. It starts to tremble, as does Viperish Night. He can feel the blood, feel his necromancy, feel the bones under the sand. Blood, yes! But not to raise more, though part of him wants to. Shivering, he remembers the power of it and slowly let's go, reigning in his emotions. The risen snake falls to dust and Viperish Night gives the man the antivenom and picks up K'elber's body to put it with the others. He will tell them a snake attacked him too quickly for Viperish Night to do anything about it.

After preparing the new corpse, Viperish Night rises to see Shiri walking toward him. He climbs out of the pit and looks at her.  
"There was no venom found in K'elber's wounds." She says. "Do you not think I would feel the necromancy surrounding him? Why did you kill him?"  
They did not believe him. And he was outnumbered, and surrounded by the dead. Was Shiri stronger than him? He studies her. "The snakes startled me. Even in the marsh, I have never seen so many in one place. They are very aggressive. I lost control and rose to many snake skeletons to control."  
"So you thought it better to lie than tell me this?" Shiri said. Several skeleton guards move in behind her.   
"All of you already think me a spy, or think my reasons are other than stated." Viperish Night says. "I did not think you would believe the truth." It is not the truth, but Viperish Night must lie. One thing he has learned from his mentor, is necromancers don't seem to tolerate compassion. And as far as he's observed, the Withered Hand are no different.  
Shiri studies him for long moments, then waves the skeletons away. "The King would not be so foolish to send an outsider as a spy." She turns. "Viperish Night, you will follow me now. I think I can teach you better control. We will not tolerate an accident like this again."  
Viperish Night bows his head. "Very well. Control has always been my weak point." He follows her deeper into the crypt.   
Shiri guides Viperish Night to a quiet corner and sits with him. Two of the Withered Hand bring in a prepared skeleton, laying it between them. "Raise." Shiri commands of him.  
So easy of a task. One Viperish Night has done so very many times. The skeleton rises under his power, and he looks to see Shira frowning slightly. "Was this not right?" he asks.  
"Yes... but I see the problem." She replies. "Your emotions are more chaotic than I would expect. When you use necromancy you must give yourself fully to it, cast aside emotions, and let the necromancy wash over you. Be at one with the dead, for they have no emotions."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. Purposely let that icy darkness wash over him? Do necromancers lose their hearts little by little as they wield this power? Still... Viperish Night searches for that icy river inside of him and swims in it. A skeever lies dead in the ground, and Viperish Night summons it and it rises out of the ground. He's tempted to raise more but restrains from doing so. Slowly he opens his eyes to see Shira studying him.   
"So much better. Remember this when you reach for your necromantic power when you raise the dead, or even if you are just defending yourself."  
Viperish Night nods. He is not sure he likes this solution but it will prevent accidents. "My mentor never taught me this." He hisses.  
"He should have," Shira says. "But then again, you are an unusual being. I imagine your a little hard to teach."  
Viperish Night shrugs. "And my mentor can be impatient. But he has taught me so very much."  
Shiri rises and gives him one last look, before leaving him to practice.


	8. Act 1 - Desert Winds

A sandstorm had swept through the desert, and Viperish Night had been sent out with several of the Withered Hand to see if any travelers had fallen to it. Viperish Night had gotten separated from the others and comes across a mine. So very many spiders are crawling around outside it. Viperish Night tilts his head, a Redguard is sneaking past the spiders to enter the mine. Curious, Viperish Night follows him into the mine, only to find him caught by the spiders, wrapped in their webs. Viperish Night frees him, and the Redguard pushes him aside and races deeper into the mine crying out a name, Shagora. Viperish Night once more follows. So he's looking for someone, he thinks as he races past spiders. Once more he catches up to the Redguard man, in a large cavern with even larger spiders, and a Spider Daedra. He was begging her to let him have Shagora, his mate back. She's weaving on her many legs, and her eyes switch from the Redguard to Viperish Night.   
"My spiders have tasted this man's blood. It is divine. But they have not tasted yours, little Argonian. Such a rarity in the desert." Viperish Night finds himself surrounded by spiders, chittering and, waving their venomous fangs at him. One surges toward him before he can grab his staff, sinking fangs into his leg. He's immune to their venom, but it is his blood they want, and the spider takes enough for blackness to take him, and he falls unconscious at the mercy of the spiders.  
Viperish Night wakes in another realm, to find the spider Daedra staring at him curiously. "Rise, little Argonian. My spiders find your blood interesting. I would speak with you."  
Viperish Night looks around. There are dry scales here, locking in illusions. They do not seem to know they are in a Daedra realm, nor that they are surrounded by spiders that feed on their blood. There is no clear way out, and this Daedra is very very strong. Much stronger than him, so he rises and walks to her. Still so very dizzy, he sits by her many legs and looks up at her. "Everyone finds me interesting. Or strange." He says. "But they do not say that about my blood." This Daedria is a very fascinating creature, he thinks to himself. And very very dangerous. Several of her spiders move around him but make no move to bite him further, so he runs his claws down one of the spiders back. Frightening, and fascinating. Yet... He turns his gaze back at the Daedra. "I am Viperish Night." He says. "And you intend to keep me?" He hisses slightly. He is not a pet and does not wish to be kept. But there is no way out...  
She is silent for a few moments before speaking. "I am Naluroen. And..." She looks down at him. "I would keep you. But I cannot."  
Viperish Night is confused. Relived and confused. He tilts his head. "I am very glad. But why not?"  
"You... should know why not," Naluroen says. "But you don't, do you? Now I am even more intrigued."  
Why does everyone seem to know things about him that he does not? Viperish Night stands, hissing low. "You will not tell me." He says.   
"Oh, but I could," Naluroen says. "I will make you a deal, most interesting Argonian. I will tell you, and I will give you one of the mortals to take back with you. You have to decide what one."  
"I can not take both?" Viperish Night said. He looks at the two, the Redguard who had gone into a spider-infested cave for his beloved, an Orc woman. They were lost in illusion, but together.   
Naluroen narrows her eyes. "Do not test me. Now what one will return?"  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. He never had what these two had. He thought he never would. "If I wish both to stay together, here?"   
"They will be protected in a perfect illusion for all their mortal lives," Naluroen says. "They will feed my spiders, but they will not even feel the pain of the bite. But... if you decide on this, I will not tell you what you seek to know."  
Daedra... Always playing with mortals, as if it was just a game. Viperish Night sighs softly. Fate seemed to keep his secrets even from him. Why would now be any different? Perhaps those secrets were ones that would destroy him. "Keep the dry scales together." He says, opening his eyes.  
Naluroen moves closer to him. "That is not what I expected. You are even more curious than I thought. Oh, how I would love to keep you." She touches his face, and then a portal opens behind him. "Leave, before I am tempted to do something that I will regret. I would regret keeping you, my little Argonian."  
Viperish Night gives one last look at the two dry scales. More he could not save. But at least they would be together, free of pain. He turns and walks through the portal, back into the mine. The spiders there do not harm him as he heads out to meet back with the Withered Hand.

The wind howls around Viperish Night, as he travels with the Withered Hand to Kozanset. Shiri had heard that the town was suffering from a harpy invasion, and decided to take advantage of the chaos, so she ordered a large group of the Withered Hand, including Viperish Night, to fall upon the besit town and kill everyone in it, including the harpies. They would then take the bodies back to the Withered Hand, in preparation to make war on Satakaloom to take control of the Motalion Necropolis. Shiri wished to raise her father, and she needed a vast army of the undead to stand against the Redguards and the Ash'abah, a group of Redguards who fought the undead, taking the dishonor upon themselves for king and country.  
Viperish Night had not said a word about being ordered to go with them, he had just gone quietly. He had traveled with the Withered Hand this far... but this he could not follow them into. But how to stop them? Viperish Night stops walking and closes his eyes. He can summon the dead. But there are so very many of them, and some are necromancers as Shiri and her brothers are, though of lesser power. He cannot let them kill all those people, but he's one, he needs help.   
And something answers Viperish Night's silent pleas. The wind's power suddenly increases and before anyone knows it, a sandstorm has engulfed them all, blinding the Withered Hand and making it impossible to go on. Viperish Night narrows his eyes against the biting wind, but strangely he finds himself in the eye of the storm. Viperish Night stares into the sandstorms depths, this will not kill the Withered Hand and eventually, the winds will ease and it would continue. Viperish Night knew he had to do something... bad to stop them.  
"Do what you must." Viperish Night's head snaps around, the spirit of a Redguard is watching him. "Just remember this." The spirit continues. "There is always more than one path." The spirit vanishes.  
Viperish Night bows his head. The spirit's words touched him. He was seeking more than just power, for it was his mentor that wished that for him. But now, power, was what he needed to save the dry scales of Kozanset. He feels the skeletons under the sand. The Redguard dead had been sanctified, but not the creatures of the desert. Even so, if the Ansei Wards had not been stolen, then even this may have been impossible. Viperish Night slashes his claws through the sandstorm, and they find one of the Withered Hand. As their blood drips onto the sands, scorpions, jackals, and duneripper skeletons rise and unhindered by the sandstorm they slaughter the Withered Hand. Viperish Night feels the icy power grip him, but a thread of sorrow gets through the ice. He had lived with these people for weeks. They were very bad dry scales, and he failed to understand them in all this time. The desire for power, to follow those with it. Necromancy seemed to be addictive. Even Viperish Night can feel it. The rush of intoxicating power of life and death, the icy feeling that made doing even the monstrous seem so easy. But still... even they did not deserve this cold-blooded slaughter, even if it was to stop their planned slaughter.   
The screams of the Withered Hand eventually fade and the sandstorm reaches even greater heights before dying down. When at last Viperish Night can see past the eye that protected him, the desert has claimed all the bodies. They will sleep in the sands forevermore. No one... will even know what happened here, save for him. He would remember it always. He keeps his head bowed for long moments. Viperish Night was starting to think this may not be the path he wished to follow. He just could not yet see another, and some part of him not only feared disappointing his mentor but feared his mentor as well.  
"One must wonder, are you like these fools, or not?"   
Viperish Night's head raises, the spirit of the Redguard is back, and he's not sure how to answer. "I do not know." Viperish Night said. "I am caught in the river and I can not see a way to swim to another."  
"Do you want to?" The Redguard spirit asks.  
Viperish Night once more bows his head. Is necromancy all he is, or is there something else? And how to find it, to swim in a different river. "I do not know yet." He whispers.  
"Then think of this, Tava answered your prayer. You, a necromancer. And yet one of our Gods answered your prayer and brought the wind so you could stop them. If you do not have faith you can choose a different path, then have faith that Tava does." The Spirit vanishes more, leaving Viperish Night alone.  
Being the only survivor, Viperish Night knew it was time to go. The Withered Hand was falling. Shiri's follows ignored the fact that two of the brothers had already been taken down, most of the wards taken back. And thanks to the wind...and what he'd done here, they would not have the army they had hoped for. Perhaps she'll think he too, died here. 

Viperish Night had been heading north, where the border between Alik'r and Bangkorai lies when he abruptly changes course to the south. Someone was following him. He had gotten used to the desert sands and could hear it shift as creatures or dry scales moved across it. And this was a dry scale. His attention shifts to something else though as he enters a strange place. He has felt it at the back of his mind for some time, the dead. So very many of them. And somehow the emotions from life permeated them. Sorrow, anger, hopelessness. They were unconcentrated fallen. He picked up the pace, curious. Perhaps he should have known he was being herded. That his curiosity would be well known by now to those that would hunt him for what he had done near Kozanset.   
He was in the center of this strange place as dusk falls. Dishonor, these were the dishonored dead. Forever doomed to have their remains here, unconcentrated, and picked clean by scavengers. Many of the spirits remained, unable to move on. The bones of these Redguard rise around him, and not under his command. He looks around, hissing seeing himself surrounded. And then his gaze locks onto hers. Shiri is standing on some rocks, the dead surrounding her, a look of naked fury in her eyes.  
"I warned you what would happen if you betrayed us." She hisses. "What I do not understand is why? You hold such promise."  
Viperish Night looks at her, claws twitching, he's sliced one finger and blood drips onto the desert sand. Unbenounced to her, he's calling his undead. The scorpions, dunerippers, jackals, and more. All the fallen of the desert. "I do not desire power." He answers her. "It is tempting... but it is also so very cold. I am not sure I wish to swim in its icy river just yet. I just have not found another river that will accept me yet." He wonders if there is such a river. One where he will feel warm and not just so very cold. His magic always draws him to the ice, but part of him, another draws him in another direction. Always different he is. Always torn.  
"You are a fool!" Shira says with a sneer. "You will die a fool!" Her undead advance, their bones rattling and their skulls hissing at him.   
"I do not know what I am, but I am not a fool!" Viperish Night snarls, staring right at her as his undead army arises, far outnumbering hers. Hard to control, but he's added his blood to the mix. Not as powerful as a sacrifice, but it will do for this.  
The two armies of the undead battle and Viperish Night's is winning. Shiri's eyes grow large as she starts to back away. "You hid this power from us? Because you were CURIOUS? You really are a fool! You could take over this whole desert if you wanted!" She yells. She waves her hand and a wave of skeletons charge Viperish Night, blocking his view of her. When his skeleton creatures destroy hers, Shiri is gone, fled into the night. The deadfall to dust and Viperish Night takes a deep breath, very very puzzled.   
"...She ran away." He says to himself, then turns to go, though not without giving this place one last look. Did these dishonored deserve to rest here? Too much what he feared his fate would be. He never would return to the Hist. When he died, where would he go? He sighs sadly and leaves this cursed place.

Sitting by a fire later, Viperish Night is deep in thought when his mentor appears. "Am I stronger than Shiri?" Viperish Night says as he notices his mentor.  
"Yes," Mentor says softly. "Why you yet fail to embrace that, I do not know." He sits by the fire.  
Viperish Night looks from the fire to his mentor. "I am... I am not meant to follow." He says. "Not the Withered Hand, not..."  
"Not even I? Is that what you were going to say?" Mentor asks  
Viperish Night is silent and lowers his head. Mentor may be angry at him again... But surprisingly, mentor continues. "If I had my way, yes you would serve me." He says. "As strong as you are now, I am even more so. Do not forget this. But..." He looks into the fire. "My options and choices are severely limited. Therefor... Well for now just listen to me. I do know what's best for you at this time."  
Viperish Night's head snaps up to study his mentor, puzzlement in his eyes. "Do you serve someone?" Viperish Night carefully asks.  
Mentor's face contorts in a snarl. "I have little other options. Serve or return to my punishment. Teaching you is... almost enjoyable despite your utter disregard for taking the power that you should rightfully grasp."   
"...So someone ordered you to teach me?" Viperish Night says, even more puzzled. He had never gotten such answers from his mentor, so he keeps pressing. "Why?"  
"Perhaps I have said too much," Mentor says. "Perhaps someone just shows a vested interest in your abilities, Viperish Night. You should feel honored." The last part came out rather sarcastically.  
Viperish Night is getting so very puzzled the further this goes on. But before he can ask anything more, mentor vanishes. Viperish Night growls, then lays on his back to look up at the cold desert stars. When will be his turn to decide his river? And why did others want to anyway? He could not be that special. He sighs, he just was not sure, so he closes his eyes. He'll head to the border in the morning and enter Bangkorai. Somewhere there had to be answers for him. Perhaps it would be in Bangkorai.


	9. Act 1 - Wild Magic

Viperish Night crosses the border into Bangkorai. The news at the border failed to surprise him. Shiri had attacked Satakalaam, invaded the Motalion Necropolis, and rose her father, but both had been struck down and defeated. Viperish Night had left at a good time. No one would ever know of his little experiment. The Withered Hand was weak, filled with follows who would follow their leaders into Oblivian in a pointless quest for revenge.  
He enters Evermore and walks the city streets. The dry scales here are full of fear and helplessness. And there are so very many crows. Viperish Night stops before one of the crows, studying it. It stares at him with a malevolent gaze, as if some dark creature was looking through the crow at him. These crows were not normal, something was very wrong with them. Quietly listening to the dry scales, he understands their despair. Reachman from the north, Imperials from the south, and no help have come from the Daggerfall Covenant.  
The wars rage on, Viperish Night knows the three allegiances are still at war but he has skirted its edge as he skirted past Molag Bal's war on Nirn. He leaves the city and dives into the water, swimming to a small island. He needs time to get his bearings, so he sits on the shore. He can see these Reachman from his island, and he watches them. So close to the city... His attention is drawn to a slithering nearby, a few Lamia are watching him. He knows these snake creatures from the marsh. Fiercely aggressive, more intelligent than most would think. And he's invading their small island. Yet they do not attack. Rather they seem... fearful of him. Can they sense what he is? He sighs sadly. It is not fear he wants.  
The Reachman moves on, and Viperish Night drifts a little. He's awoken by the feel of eyes on him, and he looks to the shore. A Breton woman dressed in furs and bones is watching him intently. She turns and runs. Viperish Night frowns. Is she fearful of him too? He leaps into the water and swims to shore. When he surfaces he comes face to face with a Bloodthorn zombie. He hisses, anger rising. How are the Bloodthorn Cult zombies HERE? He kills it quickly, then looks around, his power trembling inside of him. But there are not cultists here. All there are is Reachman and the Bloodthorn zombies. The Reachman seem to have gained use of them, somehow. He nearly falls, then sits to the ground to gain control of his emotions, hoping that he's not spotted. Slowly it dawns on him the zombie was still a little alive. "Should I have tried to save it?" He whispers.  
"They cannot be saved. Once the seed of corruption has been planted...A quick death is the best you can offer."  
Viperish Night looks behind him to see the Breton that had fled from him earlier. He stands and faces her. "I have seen these before. But with different masters." He says.  
"It is an abomination against the natural order." She says. "I am Wyress Asteria. The look in her eyes is far from friendly.  
"I am Viperish Night." He introduces himself. "And you fled earlier."  
Asteria is silent for a long moment. "Something about you puzzled me. And so I fled back to my sisters.  
Viperish Night sighs. "I get such strange reactions a lot. I am a very strange Argonian."  
"Yes, you are. And I do not sense your connection to the Hist. Am I right?" She asks him bluntly.  
Viperish Night hisses angrily. "That is not your concern!"  
"So I am right." She says. "Forgive me for asking. Your curious, something about you. I just can not place my finger on it.  
So very many dry scales found him interesting, curious, puzzling. Viperish Night always got so confused. He knew he was so very different, he did not understand why. "Wyress?" He asks.  
"We are the Wyrd, earth witches." She says. "We protect the forest from all outsiders." Her eyes narrow at him.  
Viperish Night understands. They do not like anyone outside their kin, and they would wage war against any who threatened their forest. "I am always an outsider." He hisses and turns to leave.  
"Wait." Wyress Asteria says. "Stay. Perhaps I can figure out why you feel so strange to me."  
Viperish Night pauses. Should he? He turns and looks at her. He likes trees and animals. And he wishes to see more than just death. "Very well." He tells her and follows when she turns to return to the forest.

Viperish Night stays with the Wyrd in the Viridian Woods for a while. The Wyrd were not ones to invite an outsider into their forest home. But Wyress Asteria had pleaded for it. Why was she so curious about him? He was so very strange, and he was curious about these Wyrd as well. The Wyrd lived simply, just as the Argonian's did in the marsh. Working with the land and not against it. They also worshiped Hircine, one of the Daedric Princes, and some could transform into wolves. He feels oddly at peace in this place, surrounded by the forest, as if the world outside had ceased to exist. His necromantic magic seemed further away in this place, and not all-consuming as so often could be.  
But corruption came to the forest, trees started to wither and die and the forest Spriggans began to vanish, only to return as mindless Lurchers corrupt with foul magic. They attacked anything that came across their path, including the forest. And with them came the crows, whose spirits had been trapped in the nature realm by a Hagraven named Uela, so she could use them as her eyes and ears.  
Uela came for the Wyrd, for the Wyrd had been searching for her. She harmed the forest, weakened their nature magic. And so she set war upon the forest one night with the Reachman, Lurchers, and Crows. 

Viperish Night had been sleeping in the Wyrd village when a scream awakes him. All the Wyress had risen at the same time, they felt the corruption suddenly grow and it was so very near. Even weakened, they surged to battle. Wyress Asteria races past him. "Stay!" She commands him. "This is not your fight. The forest is ours to protect."  
Viperish Night dashes right after her. "But they will destroy the forest!" He hisses. "The forest is peace."  
She looks back at him. "Follow then, fight for the forest with us."  
The Lurchers are breaking trees and attacking anything in their path and right behind them are the Reachmen, and the crows, the crows are everywhere swooping down to savagely peck the Wyress Sisters. The Wyress are fighting back, some as they are, some as wolfs.  
Viperish Night stares at the Lurchers, remembering the Spirggans. In places around the world, Spriggans were fiercely protective of their trees, yet here they peacefully coexisted with the Wyrd. How could anyone corrupt them to this horror? "Can we not save them?" He shouts at the Wyress Asteria. She gives him a hard sad look before she shakes her head. No... they are beyond saving. It pierces Viperish Night's heart. He can never save those who have been lost. All he can do is destroy them, so they may rest. He snarls, at the crows, the Lurchers, the Reachman. At the unfairness of it all. His emotions threaten to spill over, but in this place, he feels no need to let it loose to raise the dead. Instead, he uses his lightning magic to send bolts crashing down on all who threaten the forest.  
But there are so very many, they are badly outnumbered. Lurchers surround Wyress Asteria, knocking her to the ground. Viperish Night tries to reach her, but more Lurchers block his path. The ground suddenly quakes and tree roots burst from the ground, slamming into the Lurchers, and giving Wyress Asteria a chance to leap to her feet and take down the off-balanced Lurchers. Viperish Night turns his attention on the ones who block him, launching sizzling bolts that blow the poor creatures apart. His eyes find Wyress Asteria, unhurt, and he breathes a sigh of relief. These nature witches and their power. Even weakened their magic continues to amaze him, he's never seen magic like it.  
The Lurchers are destroyed, the Reachman lies dead on the ground. But the battle is not yet over, for Uela descents from a tree that has withered at her touch. The crow's rally at her command and the Wyress start to fall under the overwhelming numbers. "No!" Viperish Night snarls, thrusting his staff forward, casting powerful lightning bolts at the hag. But the crows fly in front of her, shielding her with their bodies and they fall to the ground, victims ensnared by an evil will and used up.  
"An outsider amongst these little girls." Uela screeches. "Your fate will be the same as theirs! KILL!" She orders and the crows surge in mass at Viperish Night. Viperish Night hisses, and the fallen crows start to rise, to fly once more, necromantic power glowing in their eyes. Viperish Night winces, twice used by dark forces. He wants this over, so the crows can, at last, be free, and rest. He turns all his fury on Uela, charging forward and thrusting his staff at her, his undead crows keeping her crows at bay. She screeches an ear-splitting cry and throws her corrupting magic at him. The two meet in a large explosion of magical power. She screams and falls dead to the ground. Viperish Night is thrown backward and he struggles to rise, but everything is so heavy. As Wyress Asteria races to his side, his eyes flutter and then snap shut.

Viperish Night opens his eyes to a world cast in shades of blue. He looks around confused and then tries to rise, but something is wrong. He feels so very strange. He looks down, but instead of his scaled clawed hands, there are furry paws. He manages to get up on four legs and lopes to a pond nearby. He looks into it and his eyes look back up at him, but that is the only familiar thing. The rest of him is covered in gray and brown fur and he has a muzzle with sharp teeth and pointy ears. He is a wolf. "How am I a wolf?" He says, puzzled. This feels very very strange.  
Another wolf lopes up to him. "You are not one of us." She says. "You can not be. For obvious reasons." She adds looking at his hindquarters.  
Viperish Night sits, turning his head away. "I am not used to not having clothes on when dry scales can see me." He says. "Though wolfs cannot wear them..." He looks back at her. "Why am I a wolf in this strange place?" He asks again.  
"You should NOT be, outsider!" She says harshly, then softens her tone. "But you saved us all. The Hagravens corruption has taken you and is threatening to destroy your soul. Wyress Asteria pleaded with Hircine to bring your soul to the nature realm why our sisters purify the Hagravens heart to remove the corruption from the forest and you."  
Viperish Night rises, suddenly terrified. Hircine is a Daedric Prince. He whines and paces. "He did not kill her as payment did he?" Viperish Night asks. "I am not worth that much!" He stops and hangs his head shaking.  
The Wyress sister moves closer to him. "Hircine is not like that! Hircine would not take a hunter away for an OUTSIDER!" She snaps, causing Viperish Night to cower. "She will owe him a hunt for this. You should show gratitude to our sister for going to great lengths for you."  
Viperish Night bows his head. "Then I am grateful to him as well as Wyress Asteria." He says. He looks around. "I wish to run until I return. This is very curious, I prefer my scales, but yes. Very curious."  
"Then run!" The Wyress Sister says, and Viperish Night runs until his spirit is called back to his body.  
Viperish Night opens his eyes and sits up, Wyress Asteria is by his side. "The corruption is gone." She says. "Thank you, Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night looks up at her. "Thank you as well," he says softly. The other sisters call on her, and she leaves him to recover. He is very tired, so he lies back down and closes his eyes.  
When Viperish Night wakes next, his mentor is by his side. He has not seen him since he accepted the Wyrds offer to stay for a while. "You should leave now, Viperish Night," he says. "These witches do not tolerate outsiders for long, no matter what they do for the Wyrd."  
Viperish Night sits up, hissing. He does not wish to leave. He feels at peace here. He wants to snarl at his mentor, wants to ask what if he does not wish to leave? But... even if he wanted to stay, he could not. He rises. "You are wrong about the Wyrd." He says, looking down at his mentor, who quickly rises to his feet as well. "But..." He continues. "Right about the fact I must leave. I cannot be one of them, so I cannot stay." Viperish Night walks out of the hut and takes one last look around. He should bid Wyress Asteria goodbye... but perhaps it is best he does not. Signing he leaves the forest village to continue on his journey.

Wyress Asteria looks for Viperish Night after helping her fellow sisters. The Argonian had puzzled her, and during the battle to save the woods, he did something impossible. Did he even know he did it? She had not been able to figure out what it was about him that was so strange, until... She closes her eyes. What was said to her? Impossible, but true none the less. She wished Viperish Night could stay, but there can be no place for him with the Wyrd, and yet he should know this. It could alter his path, for she also felt the corrupting necromancy within him when he raised the crows in battle. Another reason he could never stay, the other sisters felt it as well, and the Wyrd could not overlook it. Knowing a truth such as this could help or hinder him. But he had to know and choose for himself. Lost in her thoughts, she gasps and stumbles a bit as she comes face to face with a glowing mer spirit...no spirit was not the correct word. He stares at her, an angry look in his eyes.  
"You seek my pupil." He says. "Tell me, is that worth the life of your sisters?"  
Anger crosses Wyress Asteria's face. "You dare threaten the Wyrd?" She snarls.  
"Oh, I dare," he says. "I will send for creatures that will kill your sisters. Burn your forest to the ground. Leave Viperish Night to me. It is not yet time for him to know many of his truths."  
Wyress Asteria's fist clenches. "You would take the choice from him? Without knowing this he may never..." She stops and backs away from him in horror. She can feel the forest starting to burn.  
"Run little Wyress." He hisses. "Or follow Viperish Night. He will cost you everything."  
Wyress Asteria closes her eyes. "Forgive me, Viperish Night." She whispers, then turns and runs back to her sisters.


	10. Act 1 - Accidental Crocodile

Night finds Viperish Night wandering. He should be sleeping but his thoughts are full, overfilling. The Wyrd... not his river though he felt such ease with them. More at peace than he has ever felt, and now that peace is gone. He had to leave, he could not be one of them. He was not female, and he knew they had felt him raise the crows during battle. He had to leave, and he could not go back. Not even to ask Wyress Asteria if she had learned anything from him. He almost wishes to go back, to see her one more time.  
Suddenly Viperish Night freezes. The night had been quiet, the faint chirps of insects and the occasional owl hoot. A peaceful night. But now something has invaded the peace. There is something in the night, neither dry scale, animal or one of the undead. And then Viperish Night finally sees it, it seems to come out of nowhere. Ebony black armor, gleaming crimson eyes, horns...A Daedra warrior. Viperish Night reaches for his staff, hissing. The Daedra looks right at him and then lowers his head slightly before he walks past Viperish Night, vanishing into the night once more. Viperish Night stands there, puzzled for a few long moments. Daedra hates mortals, attacking without reason or cause. Yet this one indicated he meant Viperish Night no harm and left without a fight. Viperish Night is deeply unsettled, and he moves on and finds a site to camp under some small trees. The Southeastern half of Bangkorai is desert, and he's very near it.   
Viperish Night's mentor appears a while later and Viperish Night tells him of the unsettling encounter. "If the Daedra do not bother you, you should not go out of your way to bother them," Mentor says. "Leave them to their business.  
Viperish Night thinks of this and then shivers as from some distance away the sound of an anchor being dropped pierces the night. "But mentor, they cause trouble." Viperish Night says quietly. Viperish Night has been traveling across all of the Daggerfall Covent lands. Most dry scales seemed to be ignoring their possible doom. Then again, how could anyone stop a Daedric Prince from merging his realm with Nirn? "Right." He says before his mentor could speak. "Do not interfere with it." He sighs. "What will it be like mentor, if the realms merge?"  
Mentor is silent, for so very long, long enough that Viperish Night thinks he will not answer. "Molag Bal will fail." He finally says. "The forces working against him... he underestimates them."   
Viperish Night gives his mentor a puzzled glance. "You sound so sure." He asks.   
"Daedric Prince's are not infallible," Mentor says. "They just think they are. Mortals have a way of wreaking their grand plans, time and time again." Mentor rises. "Come, Viperish Night. I will teach you something useful tonight."  
Viperish Night follows mentor to a cave, lit by scones. "Watch, feel the magic, and learn," Mentor instructs. "This is not necromancy, but useful non the less." Mentor summons his staff into his hands and starts a summoning spell. An Daedric portal snaps open, swirling red-orange and black and a Banekin emerges. "Keep in mind what you wish to summon," Mentor says. "Or you will summon something you cannot control." The Banekin hisses but stays put. Under Mentor's control. He sends him back and snaps the portal closed. "Your turn."  
Viperish Night reaches for his staff and casts the spell as his mentor had. A portal opens, but it is bigger than the mentor's portal and with a roar, an Daedroth leaps out and eyes Viperish Night hungrily.   
"Viperish Night!" Mentor cries.   
"Oops..." Viperish Night says as he tries to control the enormous Daedra, which fails. The Daedroth opens his snout and razor-sharp teeth gleam as he spits a stream of fire at Viperish Night, who dashes to the side. Mentor snaps his staff at the portal, and it sucks the Daedroth inside and snaps shut. Viperish Night looks at his mentor. "...I may have accidentally thought of the crocodiles in the marsh." He says sheepishly.  
Mentor stares at Viperish Night then starts to laugh. "The bigger the Daedra the harder it is to control it." He says. "And the more energy it takes to summon it. First, try and THIS is what you summon!"  
Viperish Night blinks. Mentor is not mad? Mentor is so hard to figure out sometimes... "I need more control." He says at last.  
"Your control overall...is much better." Mentor grudgingly admits. "What you learned with the Withered Hand seems to have helped. Practice, Viperish Night. But summing is frowned upon at times, use it cautionary.   
Viperish Night nods. "Yes mentor." he says as his mentor vanishes. He stares at the spot the portals open. The Daedra are fascinating, but terrifying too. He is not sure if he ever wishes to use them in battle. Perhaps he will practice, but he won't choose to use this unless there is no other choice.


	11. Act 1 - Revelation

Such a small farmstead. Why would an Imperial set loose Daedra amongst them? For the fun of it? These types of dry scales made no sense to Viperish Night. What kind of dry scale would sell out their world to Molag Bal? He hisses. He wishes to go down and help. But while the banekin is easy enough to deal with the daedroth is something else. The homestead is swarming with them! And... his mentor warned him about getting involved with Molag Bal's schemes. That does mean his allies as well, after all.  
Mentor appears just then, dropping a banekin at Viperish Night's feet. "Use it. Deal with the Daedra," he says.   
Viperish Night tilts his head at mentor. "You told me not to interfere with Molag Bal and his allies," he says softly. "Is anyone even left?"  
His mentor points to one of the buildings. "Redguard, a few of them. Go help them." Mentor says. "It is fine dealing with the Imperial's in small situations like this."  
Viperish Night snaps up the banekin with his claws. A sacrifice to raise the dead and destroy the Daedra. He frowns slightly as he crushes the banekin in his grasp. The blood flows and Viperish Night lets the icy river wash over him. The farmstead is in the eastern part of Bangkorai and the desert is slowly claiming it. And thus, many fallen are buried lost to sandstorms and predators alike. They rise, on Viperish Night's command. Travelers lost never to be concentrated, desert beasts. They set upon the Daedra. Many fall to the daedroth's flames and claws, but at last the last of the Daedra are defeated. Viperish Night lets his undead army rest, and quickly leaves before the Redguard emerge. 

Undead lion roars echo in Viperish Night's ears. They charge savagely killing Imperials that had camped on top of a huge cliff near the Craglorn border. Viperish Night had been exploring the desert night, unable to sleep and an Imperial scout had attacked him. That scout lay dead at his feet now, and his mentor had appeared and told him not to waste the blood. That it was yet again acceptable to attack the Imperials. And so as the blood watered the desert sands, Viperish Night had given in to the dark Necromantic power, swimming in it and letting it course through his veins. Long dead lions answered his call, showing the Imperials no mercy. When it was done, mentor had left, leaving Viperish Night amid another slaughter. He sighs and lowers his head. Mentor had been pushing him so hard lately. Pushing him to sacrifice life and call upon hordes of the undead to slaughter the Imperials. The Imperials were so very bad, in league with a Daedric Prince who wanted all of Nirn. But... he was so sick of slaughter. Perhaps... no, he could not do that. Sighing, he turns around to head west, only to come face to face with a surviving Imperial covered in blood and mortal wounds. The Imperial snarls at him savagely and charges at Viperish Night, slamming into him and sending both of them tumbling off the cliff. Viperish Night hisses and shoves the Imperial away from him, and looks down in panic. The cliff is very high, too high to survive. He tumbles to the ground and closes his eyes. He does not want to see his death coming. But instead of death, talons grab him in a near crushing grip, halting his fall. The flap of leathery wings fills the night and whatever has him flies him to the ground, letting him tumble to the sands. Viperish Night leaps up and whirls, but whatever caught him is already high in the night sky, just a big black shadow.

More Imperials, more slaughter. It made Viperish Night dizzy. He was helping Bangkorai. The Imperials wanted to take it, to do terrible things. He was helping... The icy depths of power, he felt drawn to it more and more. He could feel himself starting to WANT to swim in it. Part of him was terrified, part wanted to just give in. Please his mentor, and stop fighting it. Viperish Night slinks away from the latest battle and lies down in the sand. He curls up shivering, and not from the desert cold.  
Viperish Night wakes in a forest glen. He looks around, puzzled. Is this Glenumbra? He sits up and bows his head. It reminds him of Seriana, he still misses her. They had shared a connection, even after such a brief meeting. A noise snaps him out of his thoughts. Just like that day he met her, a deer has come out of the woods. But this one is no doe, but a huge buck with massive horns. Viperish Night is a little alarmed. He slowly rises as the buck studies him.   
"What do you sense here?"   
Viperish Night blinks rapidly. Did the deer talk to him? He opens his mouth, then closes it and tilts his head. He can sense life and death. A squirrel in the trees eating nuts being watched by a hawk. Rabbits in the bushes being stalked by foxes. Deer deeper in the forest and the wolf pack that stalks them. "Life." He hisses. "And death." Yes, he can sense those creatures that have died and those that are soon to be hunted and killed.  
"Yes." The deer says. "Life and death. Prey and predator. You..." The deer tilts his head. "Squirrels, foxes, hawks. Even wolfs showed you their bellies, and had no fear of you. What does that make you?"  
Viperish Night remembers. Feeding the squirrel, lying among the wolfs, the fox trying to save him. Hawks watching him. Still, what is this deer trying to tell him? "I do not understand," he says.  
The deer snorts at him and paws the ground. "You are at a crossroads," he says. "Do you understand that much?"  
Chills run down Viperish Night's spine. He hangs his head. "Swim the icy river and stay with my mentor." Viperish Night whispers. "Or depart from him and find another river." The deer nods and Viperish Night raises his head. "I... do not think I can do this!" He cries. "I am so alone, mentor is all I have."  
The deer moves closer, lowering his antlers dangerously close to Viperish Night. "Be weak, be prey to larger masters. Or stand on your own as the hunter you could be."   
Viperish Night wants to back up. Back up from a deer. A very very strange deer that is frightening. But somehow, he knows this would be a very bad move. He feels as if he's in a predator's sights. "I..." He rasps. "I am not a follower. But I do not know what else I can be yet."  
The deer snorts in anger. "Do what you will. I have given you this warning for one reason, and one reason only." He raises his head, his eyes seem to stare into Viperish Night's soul.   
"What reason?" Viperish Night asks.  
"You may not ask that now. One day when you decide your path, ask Wyress Asteria." The deer's eyes grow darker and Viperish Night barely surprises a shudder. "But never ask her why you are still with that mentor of yours." Without further explanation, the deer bounds into the woods and is gone.  
Viperish Night closes his eyes, puzzled and confused and when he opens them again he is lying in the sands, the sun rising. A dream...but it felt far too real for that. Viperish Night sits up, and shivers in the cool morning air. It felt like a warning. Perhaps...he should not give in so easily.

Later that night after yet another battle, another slaughter Viperish Night reels on his mentor. "Why?" he demands. "Why are you pushing me so much?" Viperish Night hisses, his tail slashing the sands.  
"So you can, at last, accept what you are!" Mentor snaps. "You know the power of necromancy, you have grown to like it. I know you have. Do you honestly think of those your killing when you are submerged in the power? And do not lie to me. I can see it in your eyes when your power washes over your enemies."  
Viperish Night snaps his jaw shut and shudders. The Imperials were very bad. Why would he mind killing them? But he did mind! When it was over...but not during. Chills grip Viperish Night. This power was enticing and all-consuming. He was at a crossroads. If he kept doing what his mentor wished...this would be his river. It would wash over him, and leave nothing but icy power. Is this what he truly wanted? When there could be another river out there for him? Viperish Night turns his back onto his mentor.  
"Where do you think you are going?" Mentor snarls.  
"To think." Viperish Night says simply, glancing back at the mer who trained him, who looked after him in his own fashion, even if it was not for reasons of his own. To leave him... it hurt Viperish Night's heart. They had a connection, and to snap that would hurt. Viperish Night needed to think deeply about this, and about the future he wanted.

Viperish Night walks all night long, unable to sleep. The dream troubles him. His mentor pushing him deeper and deeper in the icy river troubles him. His emotions are like rapids and he can not calm them, nor decide what he should do. Midmorning, he comes upon a dead fox lying in the sand near a village. He slowly sits on the sand by the fox, gazing upon it sadly. This fox was so much like the fox that did its best to dig him out of the sandstorm. Viperish Night is so confused and upset and for the first time in a long time, he loses control. His necromantic power seeps into the sand and into the fox and the fox jerks and rises, cold blue light in its eyes. Viperish Night sighs and strokes the foxes sunbaked fur lost in thought.   
A frightened whimper alerts Viperish Night that something is wrong. He looks up from the fox, a Redguard child is staring at the fox in fear. She backs away, frightened tears running down her face. "Wait!" Viperish Night says. "I mean no harm!" He reaches out to the girl. Her eyes grow wider and she runs, not to the village but into the desert. Viperish Night looks at his claws. Does he mean no harm? Then why is there so very much blood on his claws? A Red-tailed hawk cries angrily at him from overhead and Viperish Night leaps to his feet as it dawns on him, the child ran deeper into the desert. The desert is very dangerous for a young child. He had passed desert lions on his way here. Viperish Night's heart quickens. No! He had caused accidental death before, he won't let it happen again. He races into the desert, the Red-tailed hawk sailing overhead, it seems to guide him. A heartwrenching scream echos from up ahead around a group of large rocks. The lions! No! Viperish Night thinks as he runs as fast as he can and races around the rocks...and freezes nearly falling.  
The child lies dead in the sands, the blood under her so very red... But it is not the lions that killed the innocent child. The glow of a closing Daedric portal and the familiar figure near it. Viperish Night's blood runs ice cold. His mentor is standing there. He has opened a portal, ordering a Daedra to murder the girl. "Why?" Viperish Night says, staring in horror. He's barely able to think, to speak.  
His mentor looks at him with coldness in his eyes."No one must see your necromancy, Viperish Night" He says, the fury in his voice. "No one. I thought you finally learned. Clearly, I was mistaken."  
Viperish Night's eye travels back to the child and he fights back tears. And then the realization hits him and his eyes widen in shock and snap back to his mentor. The Breton that had fallen to his death. Had his mentor killed him? The Breton that saw him with the risen bears? Even Seriana? Viperish Night starts backing away, shaking. "Did you kill them all?" Viperish Night rasps.   
Mentor smiles, and it chills Viperish Night to the bone. "You should have been more careful, Viperish Night. So I would not have to clean up your messes, since your clearly too weak to do it yourself." he snaps.  
Viperish Night's back hits the rocks. He feels sick, the world seems to spin. In one instant his world has shattered. He knew his mentor did questionable things. But to murder a child, to murder... He can not even bring himself to think about how Seriana must have died. He hisses at his mentor.  
"Come now, Viperish Night," Mentor says. "You'll get over this. Soon these idiotic emotions will be beyond you. You will not even care who dies at your feet."  
He won't care? Viperish Night stares at mentor and slowly the truth dawns on him. His mentor does not care that he murdered a child. How many dry scales had this mer murdered? How many bodies lay dead at his feet? What had he done before he started mentoring Viperish Night? Why had Viperish Night never asked, never questioned why mentor told him NOTHING of his own life. What kind of fool was he? Viperish Night understands now. This is the cost of this dark gift. Becoming a monster who could kill anyone so easily. Viperish Night closes his eyes and shudders. The Imperials he killed so easily. It troubled him after the battle was won, but less and less after each battle. His mentor's words wash over him. His mentor wants him to keep giving into the icy river. Wants him to walk the path with him. "No." Viperish Night says softly.  
Mentor freezes. "What," he says.   
"No.," Viperish Night says again.  
"Be very careful with what you say next," Mentor says. "You can not go back if you turn your back on us. You will suffer for it, I promise you. So be smart and forget the child, and forget that worthless mage who wanted to sway you from the path of power, your..." he trails off and stares at Viperish Night.   
Viperish Night was heartbroken and lost. Sick of death, of slaughter and blood. Sick of innocents dead, in part because of him. Because his mentor wanted to drive him into the depths of icy darkness. His mentor lied to him. Over and over again, and Viperish Night had been too stupid to see it. A growl erupts from his throat. "NO!" Viperish Night growls. "I am done with you! Done with this river! I will find my own river!" He feels something snap inside of him, the connection he had with his mentor is shattered. From mentor's furious face he can feel it too. Unable to take anymore, Viperish Night runs into the desert.  
Mentor watches him go. He will have to track him the hard way. How did Viperish Night break their connection without even knowing about it? It was how he had kept an eye on Viperish Night all this time, how he always knew where he was and what he was up to. Mentor sighs. "He will not be pleased." He says to himself, a small shudder passing through him. "Viperish Night cares too much. I could not seem to destroy that within him." Mentor starts to fade. He'll have to find a way to track Viperish Night, but it will have to wait. He has little choice but to tell him about this... he really will not be pleased."

No amount of running can chase away the truth from Viperish Night's mind. His mentor was very very bad, and whatever master he served had to be the same, or worse. They wanted Viperish Night to be very very bad too, and he no longer wanted the icy power. He halts deep in the desert, breathing raggedly. He knows what he has to do. He has to go back to Glenumbra. He had to try to summon Seriana and talk to her...one last time. So he takes off running again to the nearest city. He needs to be on a boat and away Bangkorai and his former mentor.


	12. Act 1 - The Mages Last Gift

In the glen, Viperish Night paces. He should not do this... he's not even sure he can, or that Seriana's spirit even lingers here. But, somehow, he must. He has to know...know for sure what happened to her. The Redguard child lying dead on the sands flashes through his mind, an image he will never be rid of. How could his former mentor murder a child? How could he be so stupid for letting the little girl see him raise the fox? He knew he was near a village, but he was too lost in his own emotions and troubles to bother to care about it. All the time's people saw his necromancy flash through his mind. The odd breeze as Seriana left. The flash of light when the Breton saw him with the bears. The Breton that supposedly fell in Rivenspire. Had his mentor murdered all of them, truly?   
Viperish Night sighs. He had found out this was where she had died, her body had long been taken home to rest. He sinks to the ground and closes his eyes. "Seriana," he whispers. "Forgive me. But I need to summon you back if I can." A glow surrounds him and he casts his will into death and darkness, and a light answers his call, warm and golden glowed. Viperish Night feels gentle hands cup his face and he opens his eyes to see Seriana's spirit. It had been so long. Tears spill from his eyes as his emotions overwhelm him, he never thought to see her again, much less somehow feel her gentle touch, an impossibility he embraces. "Please..." he whispers.  
Seriana leans in close to him. "It's hard, Viperish Night." She says. "To remember my death. But I have been waiting for you to come, waiting for you to ask. Let me show you."  
Viperish Night nods, closing his eyes. Seriana presses her forehead to his and a glowing light surrounds them.   
Viperish Night is standing by trees, he finds he cannot move or speak. All he can do is watch the past unfold before him.   
Seriana is walking toward the border and all seems so peaceful, until the moment when it is not. A glowing red-orange and black portal open and Seriana falls back with a frightened gasp, her hands go for her staff as the banekin spill from the portal. Magic spills from Seriana's staff, but there are so many racing around the mage, causing her to spin to fend them off, and leaving her back to the open portal. Suddenly she gasps as a Daedra thrusts his sword through the portal and her back. Her hand goes limp and her staff falls onto the ground as she slumps off the Daedra's sword to fall to the grass below. The banekin stream through the portal and it closes. Seriana's dying gaze locks onto a figure in the trees, Viperish Night's mentor. "You should have stayed away from my pupil..." He says.  
The vision ends and Viperish Night violently shudders. "I'll kill him!" Viperish Night rasps. "Find a way to bring you back!"  
"No!" Seriana says, and Viperish Night's eyes open to look into hers. "The path of vengeance is filled with only pain and sorrow." She gently tells him. "And to bring someone back...only madness lies at the end. Please do not do that to yourself... please do not do that to me. I only ever tried to help and heal in life. I would not want to know my death caused pain. "  
"I..." Viperish Night says brokenly. "If you do not wish either, I will honor thus."  
Seriana smiles, and she starts to fade. "It's time for me to go, Viperish Night. You saw my last moments and can free yourself from the monster you know your mentor to be. I can be at peace."  
Viperish Night's hands reach up to cup hers, but he can scarcely feel her anymore. "What do I do now?" he whispers.  
"Choose life, Viperish Night. Choose life over death. You may think you only hold death magic in you but I can feel a different type of magic within you. It's.... so bright. It warms me so." She leans her forehead against hers. "Farewell, Viperish Night. I wish we had more time. There is something so special about you." And with that, she fades and is gone.   
Viperish Night lowers his head, staying that way for long moments before shakily rising. He had feared this was the truth when he saw his mentor with the murdered child, but to have seen it... But at least, Seriana was at peace. He still wanted to do such horrible things to his mentor, what his mentor done was vile, evil, and unforgivable. But... to choose life over death, could he be strong enough to find this secondary magic inside of him? Viperish Night looks back at the spot Seriana died, there is a multitude of beautiful flowers honoring her. And they had not been there when he came. Did Seriana do this? Viperish Night smiles a sad smile and walks out of the glen. He would travel back to the docks and find passage away from the Daggerfall lands, and start his search.


	13. Act 1 - The Chains That Bind Us

Dawn finds Viperish Night wandering the docks. He's not sure where he should go to search for a different river. Adrift and alone, and yet almost at peace as if a great weight has been lifted from him. He will miss Seriana, but she had gifted him such wisdom. Still...he is so uncertain and truly alone now. The necromancy still nibbled at his tail, whispering its dark song, would finding out what the other magic was quiet it? Viperish Night suddenly stops before a ship as he overhears where it is going. Murkmire. Viperish Night hesitates, he was banished from the marsh but Murkmire was on the edge... perhaps if he was careful... he wanted, no needed to go home, or as close as he could get. If only to say a final farewell. He pays his passage and boards the ship.

Viperish Night stares into the night sea, his journey started just like this. He could have never imagined everything he had seen and done. He had been so innocent and naive. Placing trust in the first person who offered him anything and going along with his dark teaching. His scales were stained with blood. It did not matter if the blood was from very bad people, or the innocents his mentor murdered to keep Viperish Night secret. Viperish Night knew part of him was so very broken. But a damaged branch could be made whole again. He would journey to the ends of Nirn if he had to, to find what he sought. He yawns, and turns his back on the night, heading to his small room to get some rest.

_It is so very dark. Viperish Night looks around and cannot see anything at all. He knows he's not in his ship quarters anymore, the air is dank and cold. He hisses as the room fills with cold blue light. Necromantic light. Viperish Night looks around, he's in a cave. How did he get in a cave from the ship? Was he dreaming?  
At the entrance of the cave cloaked in shadows, an Argonian appears. Drawn to the mysterious Argonian, Viperish Night starts to move forward, but the strange Argonian turns and runs further into the cave. Viperish Night hisses and follows, but is halted by a yip of pain, there is a fox in a trap. Viperish Night kneels to help, and a hiss from up ahead answers him. "You will not catch me if you pause." It warns. Viperish Night looks up, the Argonian is moving further away, still draped in shadows. "You want answers? Follow me."  
Viperish Night looks down at the poor fox, he bends down and frees the creature from the trap before dashing after the Argonian. He wants to catch up. Needs to catch up. But a shriek of fear, a male Redguard is being attacked by Banekin. Viperish Night raises his staff, blasting them to ash before running full tilt after the Argonian. He dashes down another corridor, following the clawed footsteps, a female Breton is traped by spiders. Viperish Night stops to help her as well, the Argonians mocking cries echoing from deeper within. Viperish Night races and enters a cavern in shadows split down the middle by a huge chasm. The Argonian is on the other side. Viperish Night breaths raggedly as he pauses, staring at him.  
"You could have caught up." The Argonian hisses. "But you choose to help those who were too weak to help themselves."  
Viperish Night steps back. The Argonian's voice is filled with such venom. Such anger. "Who are you?" Viperish Night asks.  
"You are not ready to know that." The Argonian says. "Unless...you are?"  
Viperish Night's eyes widen as he feels the necromancy crackle in the air. Skeletons burst from the ground shrieking, grabbing at Viperish Night. There is more than he can count, more than he can control. Viperish Night stumbles back and hits the wall as the skeletons come at him. A cry at his feet, he looks down to see a young Argonian is curled up by the wall.  
"You have the power to wrest control from the skeleton's master." The Argonian shouts. "All you need to do is take it! Sacrifice the child and you will know who you are."  
Viperish Night is shocked into silence. The Argonian wants him to murder a child? To dive into the icy river on innocent blood to save his own life? "No!" he snarls.  
"Why not?" The Argonian asks. "Your people treat you as if you are an abomination. Your Hist threw you away so easily. You owe them NOTHING."  
Viperish Night sinks to his knees, head bowed. This Argonian is a monster. Is this his former mentor's master?" "Kill me." Viperish Night says. "I will not murder a child." The horde of skeletons vanishes, as does the child. The eerie blue light suddenly fades, leaving Viperish Night once more in utter darkness. He leaps to his feet and a clawed hand grabs Viperish Night by the neck and slams him against the wall.  
"You are a FAILURE!" The Argonian hisses at him. "Weak, unworthy." Viperish Night struggles, he can hardly breath and the Argonian's claws grip tighter. "You will die, as the nothing you are!"  
"Wait." A familiar voice echos out in the gloom. Viperish Night's former mentor.  
The hold on Viperish Night's neck lessons just a little."You DARE? After your abject failure?"  
"I can fix this," Mentor says.  
"...one last chance." The Argonian says, releasing Viperish Night, who falls to the ground. He hears the Argonian walking away and he closes his eyes.  
Viperish Night opens his eyes, waking in his quarters aboard the ship. He sits up, looking around and hissing. A dream? That was a dream? It could not have been just a dream! Who was that Argonian? Why did he care what Viperish Night did, why did he think he was a failure?. Viperish Night curls into a ball whimpering softly. He's so cold, so very afraid. He wants nothing more to do with his former mentor and his twisted master, but is there any way to escape them? He has to try. Suddenly, all Viperish Night wants is to go home._

~/~  
~Glenumbra Docks~  
Mentor opens his eyes and shudders slightly. Viperish Night had almost been killed, written off as a failure. And if that had happened... he clenches his fist. He will not return to... Not yet! He refuses. He can find a way to make this work for him.  
At the very least he had tracked Viperish Night down. The way he obsessed over that mage, he knew Viperish Night would come here to try and speak to her. If her spirit lingered... the things that worthless mage could have told him! But, of course, he had been too late. Viperish Night had come to Glenumbra and then left again. He feared Viperish Night would travel somewhere he should not, could not go! So he had little choice but to ask. The first person he tried asking, a Breton, had called him a spirit and leaped off the dock in fear. Idiot! A Redguard had seen the whole thing and came hurrying over, bowing to him and calling him honored dead. The Redguard's superstitions were utterly idiotic, but at least it worked in his favor, and he learned what he needed to know. Viperish Night had traveled to Murkmire. Some of the tension leaves mentor. Murkmire was acceptable. The issue now was another boat would not be leaving for a week. When he expressed his displeasure the Redguard had told him there was another ship departing for Murkmire, but they did not take passengers. It had once been a simple matter to tug at his connection with Viperish Night and travel wherever he was, but now that connection was shattered. He was not a spirit, so he could not wander to Murkmire that way either. And using a portal was also out, for... well those reasons. Mentor had stalked to the ship and had stopped taking in the boat, the crew. A simple matter to get past them and into the hold.  
And that is where Mentor is now, in the hold. He knows now how he will fix his mistake. It galled him to admit it, but he misjudged Viperish Night. He thought the dark gift would be enough to make him a proper necromancer so he would want to claim the relic, when it came time for him to know about it, find it. But despite the gift, despite the fact death should call to him, did call to him... Viperish Night was more like his other side, the side mentor had tried to steer him away from finding. Life and Death duality... he thought death would win. It should be stronger then... Damn it all to Oblivion!. This should have been a simple matter.  
The door to the hold opens, and mentor turns to look. It seems someone saw him after all and called the captain down upon him. Mentor smiles, cold and unforgiving, as he turns to the captain. Viperish Night would regret turning from him. He would make sure of it.  
~/~

Viperish Night cautiously walks down the gangplank onto the rough wooden dock, keeping his hood up as he looks around Lilmoth. The merchant town is filled with wood and mat structures, most on stilts to keep it from flooding during the rainy season. It is bustling with various species and Argonians. So very many Argonians. Viperish Night pauses under a house, trying to get his bearings. His adopted tribe had been much further in the marsh than Murkmire, but everywhere he looks reminds him of home. It is drowning his senses and bringing up the old pain, of an empty spot inside of him where the Hist used to be. Viperish Night closes his eyes, resting his head against one of the pillars.  
Two Argonians are near, and the male is declaring his intentions to her, a pact to bond. Viperish Night hisses softly and hurries away. It also brought up painful memories. Why had his egg parents abandoned him in a strange tribe's egg nest? Why had they not been like those two, so happy with each other, so eager for eggs? Had he had egg siblings or was he somehow their only egg? If he was their only egg, why did they just... Viperish Night hisses again and dashes out of the town, startling a group of Argonian's. He simply cannot stand to be here right now. It is too much, perhaps he never should have come here.

Viperish Night rests away from the village by some trees. His eyes are closed as he tries to regain control of his emotions. He knows what happens when he loses control, and he will not. He does not want to summon any more dead things. He wants to let them rest. "So very confused..." he whispers to himself. The dream on the boat, just as real as the one with the deer, only far more terrifying. It felt as if he was being tested, and found wanting by that brutal Argonian. Was he his former mentor's master? And why would he care about Viperish Night at all? All he was, was an outcast. An Argonian without a tribe, without a link to the Hist. He even failed as a necromancer! It required so much death and blood. He thought for a while perhaps it was the best path for him, but it shredded his heart, and he found he did not want his heart to stop caring. The world was so full of very bad people and very bad things but... Viperish Night smiles a little. It was also full of very good people and very good things. If he could find a path that let him help the very good, then perhaps he'd find his way. He curls up on the marshy grass and falls into a fitful sleep.

_~ He sits upon a group of trees, looking at the other young Argonians playing catch the frogs. Their scales are all moss green, and various shapes of fins adorn their head. His hands reach up to one of his horns near the top of his head, slightly curved. He does not look like them. Another reason they never invite him to play. Instead of fins, he has two slightly curved maroon-brown horns, and four smaller ones, 2 each on the side of his jaw. On top of his head is a small mane of near-black feathers, and tiny horns on his nose ridge. His scales are not moss green, instead of being dark grey, with copper stripes. Tree-Minder had told him he came from the Coppertail tribe, originally. Though they had moved tribes... He flicks his tongue out, trying to remember. Coppertail, Sunscales, and now Mossyrocks He still missed Tree-Minder, though she visited when she could. In fact... he perks up and rises. She's here now!  
Later the two walk under the mossy trees this part of the marsh is well known for. Its sunset and the moss is starting to glow a little. It will be luminescent by the time of the sunsets. He looks at her, the one who has been the most like a mother to him. "Tree-Minder..." He says softly. "Why do I have no egg-siblings? Egg-parents?" He knew he never had these, but he had never asked why. He had been afraid, perhaps his egg was defective and they did not want it?  
Tree-Minder is silent, then she at last sighs. "You are old enough now. But it will not be the answers you want, for there are no answers to be found in this truth." She stops and moves in front of him, looking at him seriously. "Your egg was left in Coppertail's nest one moonless night. We are used to some eggs vanishing, sometimes the souls are not yet ready to return from the Hist, so the eggs cannot be born, and they are reabsorbed into the Hist. But to have an egg appear out of nowhere? The Egg-Minders were beside themselves." She smiles fondly. "I had quite a task calming them down!" He frowns and tilts his head at her, and she puts her hand on his shoulder. "I told you, my little mystery, there were no answers for you. Even the Hist was silent on this."  
"So I am alone," he says softly. Tree-Minder softly sighs.  
"Someday, you will find your place," she says to him. "Just remember to keep your magic locked away, and do your best to swim with the river, and listen to the Hist.  
"I hear the Hist." He says. "But I do not understand what it wants for me. Its whispers are distant."  
Tree-minder frowns at this, then shakes her head. "In time..." ~_

Viperish Night opens his eyes as the dream memory breaks free. The last thing he heard was Tree-minder calling him by his original name. He bows his head. That is not who he is, or who he can be. It is the past. Murkmire is not the place he will find his future. But it is the place he will say farewell to his past. He rises as the sun rises, and continues his trek in Murkmire. Still so far from his former tribe, but still so many things that brought up memories. The muggy air, the swamp water between his claws. The wide range of things that could kill the unwary. Nothing in Daggerfall was like this. There the plants just smelled nice, and only a few could kill you...and then only if you ate them. Here, there was Lanturn mantis, an insect mimic that could shred unwary flesh with their blades, static pitchers that held bits of lightning inside, catapult cabbages that send anyone wandering to close flying, and the gas balloons that exploded in a toxic noxious cloud. Viperish Night pauses, ducking behind some large ferns, to let a small group of hack wings pass. He remembers these as well. Vicious reptile-bird creatures that attacked in a savage flock to strip the flesh from their prey's bones. Once they pass, Viperish Night moves closer to a lantern mantis. These have always been his favorites of the carnivorous plants. Dangerous, but beautiful and elegant. The plant hisses open, the insect mimic with razor blades snakes out. "Shhh" Viperish Night whispers to it. "I mean you no harm, and I am not lunch." he reaches out and touches one of the blades, and the plant relaxes under his touch. Viperish Night closes his eyes as a memory surfaces, one he had long forgotten.

_~He lies in the mud on his belly, his claws dancing down a young bear lizard's back. So fierce, so dangerous, but this one arches his back into his caress. A hissing startles the bear lizard, sending it running away deep into the marsh, and he looks to see an Argonian youth around his age glaring and spitting at him. Terizzikiasi, one of his tribe-mates.  
"Petting Bear Lizards?" Terizzikiasi hisses? "Yesterday it was catapult cactus!" Terizzikiasi spits again. "You do not want to fit in, do you?" Terizzikiasi spits one more time and takes off running away from him.  
He sighs. Is this connection he has with animals and plants like that other forbidden magic? Swim with the river... He gets up, his head down. He will listen to Tree-Minders words and put this away inside of him, least it also disrupt the river. ~_

Viperish Night opens his eyes. Always this connection... He had forgotten that it existed inside of him back in the marsh. It had been coming out since he was banished, but more slowly than the necromancy. The necromancy was nurtured by his former mentor's dark will, and blood and power. No one tried to nurture this, and therefore it was but a small seed in need of sun and loving care.  
"How do you do that?"  
Viperish Night's head snaps around, a female dry scale is watching him intently. His first instinct is to hiss, but her words hold wonder, curiosity. Not fear or hostility. He shrugs. "Animals and plants like me." He says.  
"I can see that!" she says, as she gives him a good looking over. "You are not from Murkmire tribes. Born away from the marsh?" She asks. Viperish Night blinks at her boldness. She hurries to say. "Sorry! I am Tazia, a researcher, formally Imperial but..." She looks away. "Well, you know.. our leaders betraying us, selling us out to a Daedric Prince. My mother and I were lucky to get out before it got really bad."  
"I am Viperish Night." Viperish Night says as he takes her in. Imperial dry-scale yes, but there is a slight point to her ears. "I...am from the marsh, much deeper," he admits. "But I do not belong there." he sighs softly.  
"So you left?" Tazia guesses. "Or are you coming back?"  
Viperish Night shakes his head. "It is complicated. And no, I just came to the edge of the marsh to put old memories to rest. I do not know where I will go after..." He has been trying to puzzle that out. He could try to hide his necromancy and go to the mage's guild, learn to heal as Seriana had. Or find out more of the magic of nature. But where to start? He had no desire to go back to the Daggerfall lands. Too many memories, some of them painful. Too much blood on his claws.  
Tazia allows him time, seeing him lost in his memories before she speaks again. "Why not Valenwood? The Bosmer love their plants. Some of them can even grow houses out of the living trees." She laughs a bit. "Talents I lack. I take after my Imperial side more than my Bosmer side. My father was Bosmer, but he died a long time ago, so my mother took me to the Imperial city to live."  
Viperish Night blinks at her. The Bosmer could do that? He had not much contact with the Dominion races. He knew his former mentor had been mer, but he had never been sure if he was Altmer, Bosmer, or Dunmar. With that glow around him, he could not even determine proper skin or eye color. Another thing that should have made him wary. "Perhaps I will." He muses. "Though they are still fighting." He sighs. He had skirted the edges, but he knows the allegiances were at war still, and that he was not completely unknown in Daggerfall, and perhaps to its enemies.  
"The war is over," Tazia said softly. "I left Stonefalls, and the word was that the allegiances had made a truce to deal with Molag Bal. One way or another..." She trails off, then rises. "I hope they can stop him. I don't like thinking about it! There is nothing I can do." She smiles at him. "You should be able to travel safely unless Molag Bal eats us all! I have someone I have to meet in Lilmoth. It was nice to meet you!" She hurries off, leaving Viperish Night alone again.  
Viperish Night tilts his head in thought and then heads deeper into Murkmire.

A bubbly sound reaches Viperish Night, and it is so very familiar. He walks to it, yes! It is a hatching pool. Full of bubbling orange Hist sap and many many eggs. Viperish Night sits by the eggs, watching them longingly. These eggs have egg mothers, egg fathers, and egg siblings. They will not be alone, abandoned in some random hatching pool. They belong.

_~He sits by the Mossyrocks hatching pool, watching the egg-tender with the eggs. The ones that hatch would bear the tribe's trademark fins and mossy colors. So very much unlike him. One of the egg-tenders moves to his side, and if she can read his thoughts, asks him, "Why not ask to taste the Hist's sap? You could look more like your tribe."  
"No." He hisses, remembering Sunscales tribe. They offered Tree-Minder that for him, he had thrown a fit and it was the last any spoke of it again. He did not know then why he got so angry...he did now. He lowers his head. "The Hist does not want me to," he says softly. The Hist was never very clear to him, but on this, it was, though he knew not the reason. The egg-tender nods and moves back to the eggs. All understood the way of the Hist was the way of the tribe.~_

"What are you doing?" An Argonian voice jolts Viperish Night out of his thoughts.  
Viperish Night rises and bows his head to the egg-minder. "Just passing through." He says softly.  
The egg-minder hisses softly. "You do not feel right. Leave! Let Bright-Throats eggs in peace!"  
Viperish Night turns, shoulders dropping slightly. "I meant no harm," he whispers.  
"Go!" The egg-minder hisses again.  
Viperish Night walks into the marsh, away from the nest, and the tribe it belongs to. He does not belong here. He cannot belong here. 

Viperish Night walks long into the night and finally pauses in front of a large waterfall. It is soothing to his nerves. The way the tree-minder snapped and hissed at him. She would not have done that if the Hist had not whispered to her that he was an outsider, an ojel. No part of the marsh is home to him any longer, and thus he bows his head to say his final farewells to the land, the Hist, and his people. He should rage over this. Hate... but all he feels is sadness. Yet there is peace within him as well. Peace he feels Seriana granted to him. Perhaps there are answers for him in Valenwood. He closes his eyes, the waterfalls spray washing over him as the moons shine down upon the water.  
Viperish Night is so lost in his thoughts, he fails to notice he's surrounded until it's too late. The hunters are skilled and the thunder of the waterfalls masked their footsteps. Viperish Night opens his eyes and turns around, his eyes darting, counting. Six. Six Dunmer surround him. He hisses slightly, alarmed but not worried. He took on so very many more Imperials at once, though he does not wish to call on his necromancy. But there is little other option...if he does not want to be trapped. Viperish Night reaches for his staff, his eyes glimmering in the moonlight. The dead are in the marsh, as they are everywhere in Nirn. He feels a shiver of pleasure along with the fear of using his necromancy again. One more time then...  
A glow catches Viperish Night's eyes before he can act. Behind the Dunmer, by a group of trees, is his former mentor. His eyes lock with Viperish Night's, and the depths of fury in those eyes chills Viperish Night to the spine. He hisses, ready to call onto the undead, he promised Seriana, but his former mentor had come for him, not the other way around. He would deal with these Dunmer, and his former mentor, even if he had to unleash all the undead around him to do so. To be done with this. But before he can, his former mentor smiles...and Viperish Night freezes. His claws release and his staff falls to the ground. He cannot move, cannot summon his necromancy. His former mentor has done something to him, something he cannot break free of. And as he stands there paralyzed and helpless his blood freezes as he realizes what exactly these Dunmer are.  
His thoughts scurry back to the marsh, tales of warnings they told all the hatchlings as they grew up. Do not venture far from the Hist, far from the safety of your tribe or the dark elves may catch you, take you far from the marsh, from the Hist, never to return even when you die.  
No! Viperish Night manages to hiss, struggling to break free. He has broken free of another will before, he will do it again! But as hard as he tries, he can not break free, he cannot even summon his necromancy. His former mentor warned him how much more powerful he was then Viperish Night... He glares at mentor, who has betrayed him in ways he could never have imagined. "W..hy" he manages to hiss out. Mentor just smiles at him, twisted and cold.  
The Dunmer slavers take him down, slamming him into the wet grass. One chains his arms behind his back, another snaps a heavy collar around his neck. Suddenly Viperish Night can move again, but as he struggles to summon his necromancy, he can no longer reach the deep icy wells. The strange collar...it blocks magic. Viperish Night snarls, thrashing. He snaps his jaws at the nearest Dunmer, but he's just out of reach and another slams the hilt of a dagger against his skull. Viperish Night's last sight is that of his former mentor before darkness engulfs him.

-Act One-  
-Fin-


	14. Act 2 - A Hole to Hide In

Viperish Night's eyes flicker open, the floor is swaying under him. A boat... he thinks, closing his eyes again and shuddering. He must be on a boat. Then it was not a horrible nightmare, but reality. Viperish Night opens his eyes again, sitting up. His arms are free now, but he's in a cage as if he was some kind of animal. His claws touch the bars, then his neck. The collar that has managed to lockout essential parts of him. He grips it harder, trying to wrench it from his neck, but no amount of strength seems able to break it. He stops, and rests his head against the bars, clutching them with his claws. His staff is gone, bag and robe too. His eyes dart to the other cages, a trio of Argonian's from Murkmire are in one big cage, and on the far side is a sooty pelt Khajiit male. None of them are conscious. They too will wake to a nightmare. Viperish Night hisses. His former mentor had betrayed him... lead slavers to him, paralyzed him with a spell, told them how to bind his magic. And if his thoughts have summoned him, his former mentor appears. Viperish Night snarls, slamming his claws against the cage. "WHY?" He hisses.   
Mentor crouches by Viperish Night cage, looking at him with utter disdain. "So soft, so weak. I honestly thought it was innocence you would lose... but your rather like someone I've known instead. Unfortunate. You need to be stronger, colder, Viperish Night. The only path to freedom is to give into death, necromancy. Until then..."  
Viperish Night shrinks back from mentor's gaze. Why did he never notice how merciless, how cold it was? "I refuse!" He snarls. "I want nothing more to do with it, to do with you."   
Mentor rises, laughing. The sinister sound sends chills down Viperish Night's spine. "Your helpless, Viperish Night. Once you see the true nature of man and mer you will want it. You will do anything not to be weak and helpless again."  
"No.," Viperish Night says, lowering his claws. "I will not let you break me. I will refuse your icy river, always." He looks up at his former mentor. He wanted to rage at him. To rip him apart. But that is what he wanted. He wanted Viperish Night's anger, hatred. Such emotions swam hand in hand with the ice. "Never." He says finality.  
"You say that now," Mentor says. "But you will break at some point. I warned you not to turn your back on us. Now I have delivered you into your fitting reward, you will not see me again anytime soon. You will be alone, enslaved, and helpless." With those words, he vanishes.  
Viperish Night stares at the spot his mentor stood. He lowers his head. His words were brave, but his spine was in utter despair. Betrayed... and all he had done was choose a different, better path. One that was now bared to him. He wanted so much to be as strong as his words, but he was so very frightened and lost. Viperish Night curls up on his side, shivering and finally escaping into the nothingness of sleep.

A sharp jarring wakes Viperish Night. The boat has docked... somewhere. He opens his eyes slightly, staring through the slits. The Argonian's are awake and huddling together in fear and confusion. The Khajiit is pacing angrily. The door to the hold opens, and as the crew walks in, the Khajiit throws himself at the bars, roaring at them. The captain walks in, a wicked-looking Dunmar with claw marks down the right side of his face, the eye milky white. He stops by Viperish Night's cage.  
"Almost was not even worth it." He says, looking at the few slaves his crew managed to nab, then down at Viperish Night. "Though..." He's interrupted as a giant of a Nord walks down the hold, dressed in furs and armor, jagged scars down both his arms. The captain turns his attention to him. "Thjonwulf." He says. "Scant pickings, but as per our agreement, you get the first choice on the goods."  
Thjonwulf passes by Viperish Night's cage without a second thought. He stops by the rest of the Argonian's and sneers at them passing them up as well. He stops by the Khajiit's cage, unfazed by the way the cat is throwing himself against the cage, roaring for all their blood. "This one." He says. "The usual rate, Captain Rilaves?  
Captain Rilaves motions for his crew to lance the Khajiit with a sleeping draught. "Yes, Thjonwulf." He says. "Though I may have to start charging more. Pickings are slim with the damn Ebonheart pack enforcing their idiotic antislavery policies. We had to risk Murkmire, and yet this is all we managed to ensnare."  
Two Orcs walk in, taking the unconscious Khajiit as Thjonwulf pays Captain Rilaves in coin. "If the Khajiit proves to be a winner, I'll buy you some rounds at the Pickle Nips next time you are inshore." Thjonwulf ways, and walks out, following his men.  
A few minutes later, a well-dressed Dunmer walks into the hold. He frowns as he looks at the scant offerings. "Four Argonians, is this it?" he asks Captain Rilaves. He then motions with his hand. "Never-mind, Ebonheart Pact policies again. All of them, Captain Rilaves. A cave-in at the mine decimated my stock."  
"Usual price, for now, Nelimar." Captain Rilaves says as Nelimar's men come down to collect the Argonian's. "We should not have to lance these. Thjonwulf paid for the troublemaker, as he always does."  
"Barbarian." Nelimar sniffs. "Buying slaves only to put them in that barbaric arena. Waste of good stock."   
Captain Rilaves crosses his arms. "And yet it keeps the trouble makers from your mine."  
The three Argonian's in the big cage is lead out first, still huddling together but making no move to resist. Viperish Night watches them. They are so very afraid... Viperish Night is no longer afraid, he feels beyond fear. All he feels now is utter desolation, it fills his spine, leaving no room for fear. When they come for him, he makes no move of protest as he gets up, head lowered. As he passes Nelimar, Nelimar turns to Captain Rilaves. "Why is this one wearing a collar?" He asks.  
"He's some kind of mage." Captain Rilaves says. "Pissed someone off badly enough to pay us to go after him. Provided the binding spell, the collar. It's why I'm not upping my prices just yet."  
Viperish Night hisses softly. The lengths his former mentor went... he thought maybe they would leave him in peace. Again, how idiotically naive he had been, he thinks as they lead him out of the hold and onto the docks.

~  
The large island is in distant waters, outside the reach of the Ebonheart Pact, and anyone else who might object to illicit activities. The original people and original name of this place have been lost to time, and its name now stands as Oblivion's Isle. An active volcano looms in the distance. The docks are part of a harbor town, with businesses and houses. The mines are further on the island, rich in metals and gems, it may very well be one of the richest sources of such in Nirn that is yet unregulated. A good part of the island is wilderness, and the area around the volcano is home to a savage gladiatorial arena. There is a range of species who make this island their home, lured in by the mines and the gold they can reap from it. The primary inhabitants are Dunmer and Orcs, but there are some Imperials and Altmer as well. The slave classes are primary Argonians and Khajiit, but there are other species as well unlucky enough to fall to slavers.   
~

Viperish Night follows where he is lead, tail dragging on the docks. He wants very much to just fall upon the dock and never move again. But... that would be giving in. Letting his former mentor win...he can not! But there is no light to guide him...to hold onto. He pays very little attention to his surroundings as Nelimar's men lead the group of Argonian's directly to the mines. A huge section is blocked off, tons of rubble blocking it. Viperish Night finally raises his head to stare at the rubble. There are dead buried in the earth. He should be able to feel them. He has always been able to feel the dead. But now there is just a bottomless void where his magic should be. His head drops again as the guards hand them off to the Foreman, an older Dunmer who instructs them on what their duties are, and the punishments should they resist. The words just wash over Viperish Night, and he is lead to a section of the mine with the other Argonians. But when they are all grouped together, the 3 Argonians move away from him, huddling against a wall.   
The foreman taps his arm puzzled. "I thought lizards usually got along with each other." He says, then looks at Viperish Night. "Your the one they don't like. Go over and work with the cat in the corner." Viperish Night turns away from the Argonians and moves where directed. 

Viperish Night stares at the ground. He cannot bring himself to do as he was instructed. Ordered. The Khajiit softly speaks to him. "This one knows your pain, but you will be punished if you do nothing." She says gently. Viperish Night raises his head, turning to look at the Khajiit woman. Her voice is so soft. She has tawny brown fur with darker brown patches and vivid green eyes. "Help this one collect these rocks. Only the ones with shiny parts though. We need to put them in the cart." Viperish Night kneels by her, his claws glancing on the pile of rocks. He looks back at the Argonian's, who are chipping away at the rock walls with picks. "This one does not know why they shy away from you." She says. "It leaves you stuck with this one."   
Viperish Night glances back at her. Her voice is so very sad, though she seems to be trying to hide it. "I prefer dry scales over my own," he says softly. "There are no other Khajiits?"   
Her paws tremble as he asks this. "Deep cave in. No one came out. This one knew some of them for years."  
The rock in Viperish Night's claws falls clattering to the round. Years, and only to be killed in such a useless way. He trembles. "I should not be here..." He says.  
"None of us should be here, but we are," she says. "Fight and suffer, or do what they tell us to and be left in peace for the most part." She glances at the Foreman. "Trelolos is foreman and slave master, but he's not cruel. There are worse places to be than under Nelimar's ownership." She picks up the rock Viperish Night dropped. "This one is not trying to be cruel. My friends tried to escape. They were punished and placed in the deeper mine. And..." She closes her eyes. "A pocket of gas must have been struck, for the whole mine shuddered so violently and there was so much noise. And my friends never came back. Their bodies will forever rest beneath the rocks."  
Viperish Night gently takes the rock from her paws. "I am sorry." He says softly. "I...there are worse things than what happened to me."   
She opens her eyes. "This one is Rishima. I did not try to escape with the others. I know the cost, for I was a house slave when I was younger. It is easier being a house slave, but I was young and wanted to go home to Elsweyr. This one tried to escape so many times, attacked the guards so many times... they moved me to the mines. That is why this one did not try. And why this one is alone now."  
"But alive." Viperish Night says. "I am Viperish Night." At her curious look, he explains. "Not an Argonian name. I am not like my kind so when they rejected me, I rejected them and the name I was given."   
"Your parents rejected you?" Rishima asks.   
He shakes his head. "I never knew my egg parents. My egg was left in another tribe's nest. I was never wanted." He looks at her, a question in his eyes. "Years?" He asks.  
Rishima nods. "This one was very young. Traveling with my parents by boat when a storm came upon us and capsized the boat. Rishima's parents were taken by the sea. The rest of us thought the sea would claim us as well, but a boat came, we thought to rescue us but it was a slaver ship.  
Viperish Night shudders slightly at her story. It is so sad, and he cannot imagine nearly always being a slave. He opens his mouth to speak, closes it, then sighs. His words...he did not want to say them, to make them real. But the truth was real. He could not hide from it. "My former mentor betrayed me." He hisses softly. "Lead the slavers to me, attacked me with a binding spell so I could not fight back. And now, with my magic bound, I can do nothing at all. I am utterly helpless."  
Rishima jerks. "Why would one do that?" She gasps. "To be someone's mentor and betray them? This one is shocked beyond words. By Jone and Jode..."  
Viperish Night sighs softly. "I was not what he wanted me to be. I broke our bond and left on my own path. He saw fit to punish me. To try and make me what he wishes me to be."  
Rishima covers his scaled hand with her warm soft paw. "Rishima thinks we should stick together, Viper." She says softly. "It is easy to be lost here. To hate, to rage to give in to the helplessness. To think the moons will never shine upon you again. This one felt like giving up after the cave in. Then you came. This one wishes you had not, would not wish this life on anyone, but you are here." She gazes at Viperish Night, her eyes sad and yet so strong.   
"Yes, Rishima." Viperish Night says. "I am almost always alone... I do not think I want to be in this place."


	15. Act 2 - Three's Company

~1 Year Later ~  
It had been one year. One year since Viperish Night's former mentor betrayed him, causing him to be captured and enslaved and brought to Oblivion's Isle. His time at Daggerfall never seemed so far away. Life was so very different now. Told what to do, when to sleep, and eat. Punished if he disobeyed. And at first, there had been only a small handful of slaves, but more had trickled in through the past year. More Khajiits, a few more Argonian's, a pair of male Bretons. Through them, Viperish Night learned what had happened to Nirn after he had been captured. The war against the Daedric Prince Molag Bal had been won, just as his mentor predicted. A small army of mage guild, fighter guild, and heroes had delved deep into the realm of Coldharbour destroyed the source of the anchors and one hero even took on and defeated the Prince himself. The world... had gone on without him. Viperish Night had lost so very much... but he met the Khajiit Rishima, a light in this darkness he found himself. Since then they became friends in a river not their own. And now he was here, staring up at the night sky and the moons with Rishima. Every time the moons were full, they snuck out onto the slave barracks roof to see the moons, one tiny bit of freedom they had.

_Viperish Night remembers the first time watching the moons with Rishima. It was nearly a month after he had been brought to the isle. The loss of everything still tugged at Viperish Night's spine, but it was not the first time he had lost his whole world. Rishima eased it.  
"Jone and Jode," Rishima says reverently. "So far from homelands, but they still shine just as bright on this one's fur." Viperish Night hisses his agreement, but he is unusually silent. Rishima picks up on this. "Viper?" she asks him.  
Viperish Night sighs softly. He cares for Rishima, they had become close friends. But she does not know. He closes his eyes from the moon's gaze. He had not told Rishima much of his past, she had not asked. Both knew how painful thinking of the past was when one was bound. "Rishima..." Viperish Night says softly. "I meant no harm, but I caused harm."  
Rishima turns to look at him "This one finds it hard to believe. You are a kind gentle soul. Rishima sees this in you so clearly."  
"My former mentor wished me otherwise." Viperish Night continues. "And life and death whispered to me since I hatched. For a time, death drowned out life's whisper." He sighs again. "I... was a necromancer."  
Rishima is silent for a few long moments. Viperish Night is sure she'll turn away in disgust. But she surprises him. "Cursed at birth with this." She says in a gentle kind tone. "The world does not like necromancers, Viper. But you did not choose its call like them did you?"  
Viperish Night opens his eyes. She...understands. "No, and when I learned how monstrous and cold a necromancer becomes... I turned away. My mentor was not pleased."  
Rishima hisses. "Rishima does not like this former mentor of yours! She might shred his face if she ever sees him!_

"This one fears we should stop coming up here when Jone and Jode are full." Rishima softly says to Viperish Night.  
"Let us still try." Viperish Night says. Rishima smiles at him, agreeing. Despite the danger of being caught, they will not give up this tiny bit that is theirs. He can see she is still worried, he wishes he could tell her not to worry...but there is cause to worry.  
It is against the rules, being out of the barracks past curfew. Before it would have been a minor offense...but now... Trelolos, the former slave master had been in a mining accident and had been killed a month prior. The Dunmer hired to replace him, Valsvis, was nothing like Trelolos. He had a cruel streak, seeming to delight in punishing any offense and pitting the slaves against each other.  
At last, it grows late enough that both know they need their sleep, and Rishima and Viperish Night quietly slip back inside to their mats to sleep.

In the mines the next day a new slave is brought in, a young Bosmer male, barely even of age. Soon after he was put to work, a rock falls and he dodges, upending a cart full of rocks. Valsvis pounces on him. Viperish Night hisses, slowly rising, even as Rishima reaches up tugging gently on his claws. "You must not stand up to Valsvis, Viper. You must not be kind this time," she whispers. "Trelolos let you get away with light punishment, Valsvis will not."  
Viperish Night looks down at her, he can not fault her for trying to stop him. He had tried to keep his head down, keep quiet all this time. Sometimes he could not help himself, despite Rishima's fear of losing him. For her, he did not fight them. But he could not help the will to help the other slaves, sometimes. "I know," he whispers to her and she lets him go. Viperish Night moves by the Bosmer and Valsvis, quietly rightens the cart and placing the rocks carefully inside. "Accident." he quietly says, eyes down.  
Valsvis looks up from the Bosmer, whom he's thrown to the ground. "Talking back, lizard?" Viperish Night shakes his head silently, finishing cleaning the rocks up. The Bosmer tries to move away, but this just catches Valsvis's attention, like a cruel cat with an injured mouse. "You," Valsvis says, looking back at the Bosmer. "Deep mines for the day. Unless you want this lizard to take your place?"  
Viperish Night looks back at Rishima. She's still terrified of the deep mines, which had been reopened only a few months prior. Her eyes are filled with fear.  
The Bosmer stands up. "No, I am not afraid of the Deep Mines!" he says boldly. "I'm a Bosmer! It was one of US who defeated Molag Bal!"  
Valsvis eyes narrow sharply. "Talking back to your betters." he snarls, his hand moves to his side, a whip hangs there. Trelolos never carried one, but this Dunmer is not him. Viperish Night snarls softly and looks Valsvis full in the eyes when he turns to look at him. Valsvis snaps his fingers and guards close in on the Bosmer and Viperish Night. "Throw them in the deep mines till midnight. No food." he orders. Viperish Night looks back at Rishima's fearful gaze in apology. He could not help but try to help the young Bosmer.  
Later that night Viperish Night is lead back to the barracks with Denros, the young Bosmer. He crashes onto his sleeping mat, so sore and hungry, eyes closing. The deep mines were so very different from the top. Full of darkness broken by torches, the heavy air, and the warmth coming up from below, a reminder of the volcano. The danger of cave-ins, gas, and other frightening dangers.  
"Why, Viper?" Rishima whispers to him.  
Viperish Night cracks open an eye. "I was not hatched to follow," he whispers to her. "I...living this way..." he trails off, eyes closing.  
"Viper..." Rishima says sadly.

_Viperish Night dreams of his magic. Animals head his call and stream past him in a river of life. And then his thoughts turn darker, and its skeletons that answer his call. And then the dream slips into memory.  
Viperish Night stares at the sunrise, his claws at his collar. Rishima sits next to him. "It's as if it's a void within me," he says. "But somehow it is quieter. The necromancy is no longer calling to me. Its siren song is silent. I find I do not mind it so much." he muses to her.  
"And your life magic?" Rishima asks.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Always drowned out by death. It never had the chance to sing to me enough for me to miss it as much as I should."  
The memory shifts apart and Viperish Night finds himself alone, on a misty beach. No... not alone. The brutal Argonian is in the surf, watching him with cold eyes. Mist and darkness cling to him and he is but a shadow. "Not born to follow or serve." The Argonian says. "Yet, you still fail to rise up." He hisses at Viperish Night and then fades into the mist._

Viperish Night rises the next morning, so very tired still. At least the day is uneventful. Denros is too tired to cause further trouble, and Viperish Night keeps his head down, not wishing to worry Rishima again, though she notices he's quieter than normal. When Valsvis moves out of hearing range, she reaches over to lightly touch him on the arm. "This one is worried, Viperish Night. You are very quiet and troubled today."  
He glances at her. "Rishima. I dreamed of him again. The Argonian I told you about." he says softly. Viperish Night had told her of him many months ago, shortly after he told her his truth.  
"Do you think he is real?" she says. "This one would rather he is not real. That former mentor of yours being real is bad enough."  
Viperish Night stares at the wall, his thoughts far from here. "He feels real. Even though I've only seen him in my dreams." He shivers. The Argonian scares him, so very much. It feels like an ill omen dreaming of him again. 

  
After dinner, Viperish Night and Rishima sit in the grass. The slaves have leave to do so, till night curfew. The Argonian's are usually by the pond, the Khajiits by the trees, and the Bretons by the barricades. Most of the time he and Rishima are left alone. Viperish Night thinks they find it odd the two are so close. Denros walks out and sits on the grass near them. Rishima gives him a curious glance. "This one is curious," she states. "The slavers usually do not bring mer slaves here."  
"Blasted Orcs," Denros says. "Damn them to the Ooze." He sighs. "I just wanted to see the sea. My parents disagreed, there were reports of suspicious Orcs in the area. I did not head their warnings, so I went off on my own. Sometimes I think Y'ffre must be laughing at me for failing to head them."  
Viperish Night starts to say something, but a few wild deer decide to wander close to the group. His eyes grow distant. He wishes he could call out for them, but the unique kinship he has with animals and plants is tied with his magic, so he is without a voice. Rishima touches his arm. "You are lost in thoughts again, my friend."  
Viperish Night turns his eyes to her. "A deer talked to me once," he says.  
Rishima purrs lightly. "You have told me many stories of your travels, but not this one! Rishima thinks she and Denros want you to share. If... it does not trouble you?"  
"Yes, please do!" Denros chimes in. "I want to know what a deer would say to an Argonian!"  
Viperish Night stares at the deer, lost in a memory. "It was a dream. But more than that. The deer was very angry with me. He was a very scary deer. He thought me weak for following my mentor."  
At Denros's puzzled look, Rishima adds. "Viper's mentor was very bad. This one will claw his face off if she ever sees him."  
Viperish Night looks down at the grass, trailing it with his claws. "The deer also said I was not meant to follow. That I should be the hunter and not the prey. It was a very strange dream."  
Denros is staring at him in utter disbelief. "..."  
Rishima looks at Denros in confusion and Viperish Night finally looks up and notices Denros's state as well. Rishima is the first to speak. "This one does not understand. Why do you look so startled?"  
Denros finally finds his voice. "It was a buck, right?" he asks.  
"Yes." Viperish Night says, tilting his head to regard Denros. "So very big and frightening. Bigger than any deer I saw across all of Daggerfall."  
Denros falls back in the grass, staring at the sky. "I do not know who you were before this or what you did, but your dream buck sounds like Hircine."  
Rishima blinks. "The Daedric Prince of the hunt?"  
Viperish Night blinks as well. "I had been with the Bangkorai Wyrd previously," he says. He remembers, they worship Hircine, Wyress Asteria even bargained with him to save his soul from the hagraven's corruption. "But why would a Daedric Prince be in my dream?"  
"By Y'ffre, I do not even know!" Denros says. "You are a very strange Argonian. I hope you at least listened to him."  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "Yes... the deer opened my eyes and heart just enough, so when my former mentor did something horrific, I was able to break free of him. I owe him, though I still do not think a Daedric Prince would wish to bother with me."  
Rishima purrs, laughing softly. "I dream of home and the moons, but you, Viper, dream of even stranger things."

~/~  
It was the last good evening for a while. The days were spend in the mines, and Valsvis seemed to grow even more strict. The slightest mistake by any of the slaves was punished. The mine's output was slowing, and more slaves were sent deeper into the mine. Viperish Night knew Rishima was so very afraid of it, so he kept his head down for her. And...he could not help anyone anyway. If he tried, he was punished as well as the one he tried to help.  
~/~

The rain starts to fall late in the day and by curfew, it is drenching the island. Viperish Night wakes in the middle of the night. He can not will not, go back to sleep. His dreams threaten to drown him. Nothing distinct, just an unsettling feeling of drowning in a river he should be able to swim. He sneaks outside and stands in the deluge, heads up, letting the rain wash over him.  
Rishima comes out soon after to stand by him in the rain.  
"I know." Viperish Night raps. "I'll get in trouble. I should stay out of trouble."  
Rishima takes his hand. "Rishima thinks you care too much. You cannot change things here or help." Her voice, so soft and so sad. "Rishima can exist like this. This one has more memories of this place, then my home in Elsweyr, and even those memories of home and family grow dimmer as time passes." She looks at Viperish Night, who slowly lowers his head to look at her. "But... it will destroy you to exist like this, this one fears."  
Viperish Night lowers his head and clenches her hand. "I am sorry. I am trying," he says brokenly. "But..." he trails off and sighs,. "I want to try," he says very very quietly.  
Rishima goes stiff by his side. She knows what he means to try, and she starts to shake. "Everyone who tries to run fails. And with Valsvis in charge...there is no telling what he would do to a slave who tried to escape."  
Viperish Night takes in her words. He knows this. Still, his gaze drifts east. The east of the island is filled with dense jungle marsh and is wild and impassible. Beyond that the ocean. "I could get us through the jungle marsh. I could swim the ocean with you on my back till we are free from here." Viperish Night says softly, turning to her. "I could take you home, Rishima."  
Rishima shivers, the rain dripping from her fur. "Viper... you should not say such things. This one... this one..." she releases his hand and runs back inside, Viperish Night watches her go. He will not leave without her, so he shakes his head. Perhaps she is right. Perhaps it is impossible. But... he looks out into the rain-soaked night. She is also right in that it could destroy him. Rishima is the only thing that gives him a reason to exist bound as he is. He follows Rishima back into the barracks. He'll stay and keep trying for her.

  
"So you see!" Denros says as he throws his hands up. "A tree you can live in! Well, it takes longer than that, but that's how it is done!"  
Denros was explaining to Viperish Night how the Bosmer made their tree houses. The trio was sitting on the damp ground, the rain has finally passed after days of deluge. "Can you do it?" Viperish Night asks.  
"Uh...well. My grandfather can. I... well..."  
"Rishima thinks this one is saying he's far too young and impatient," Rishima says with a purr.  
"Hey! You two are not much older than me." Denros says. He gives him a look. "I... think?"  
"Rishima is older by a handful of moons," Rishima says.  
Viperish Night flicks his tongue out. "Older than you, younger than Rishima," he says. Then with a tilt of the head, he eyes Denros. "I want to make the trees grow."  
"Uh..." Denros says, scratching his head. "It is an inherent Bosmer trait. You can't just learn it."  
Viperish Night sighs and his eyes start drifting off. It happens from time to time, his past showing him memories both good and bad, just out of reach.  
Rishima takes his claws in her paw. "Viper, come back to us."  
Viperish Night shakes his head. "Sorry." His gaze locks onto Rishima's. He is trying. They have not spoken of what they spoke of in the rains again. Rishima sighs softly, sadly. The look in her friend's eyes breaks her heart.  
That night Denros comes to crouch by their mats. "So..." He says quietly. "You two ever try to... you know."  
Rishima opens her eyes, troubled. "Everyone who tries to flee fails," she tells the Bosmer youth gently.  
Viperish Night turns his head to look at Denros. "...I am from deep in the marsh. Perhaps I could do it. But I will not without Rishima." His claws go to the collar. "If...this could be removed... Nothing would stand in our way." He growls softly.  
Rishima sits up. "Viper, no. Do not say things like that. You told me what... that almost did to you in the past. Freedom is not worth that high of cost. Rishima is not worth that cost."  
Denros gives both of them confused looks. "I'm missing something. I'm missing a secret. I knew there was a secret! No other slave I've seen has a collar on. Let me see it!"  
Viperish Night sits up and gives Rishima a nod. "Rishima is right. But.." His eyes are troubled. He does not like being helpless. His former mentor was right on that... the fight was to not give in. "You may look, just the same."  
Denros's hands move to the collar and he frowns. "What kind of thing is this? There is no lock, no opening. I can not even tell the metal it's made out of." He sits back down, looking flummoxed. "Someone went to all the trouble of putting some crazy magic collar to block out... magic? Am I right? Is it magic! What kind?"  
Rishima and Viperish Night both stare at him, and Denros throws up his hands. "By Y'ffre, don't look at me like that! I'm prying. I'm so bad. It is like I ate a carrot. Now I am doomed to the ooze." He falls back on the floor.  
"This one thinks he found moon sugar and ATE it," Rishima says.  
"That's even worse!" Denros says. "Moon Sugar is from PLANTS!"  
Viperish Night tilts his head and laughs. Actually laughs. "I prefer meat myself. Or fish," he says.  
"The Bosmer's law of not eating plants has always been strange to this one." Rishima purrs with a smile.  
"Will you three SHUT UP." A cranky Khajiit voice hisses at him. "The rest of us rather get some sleep without that Renrij punishing us for making all this noise!"  
Denros gets up. "And there goes the mood," he says, much quieter. "I should get back to bed."  
Viperish Night reaches up and tugs on Denros's sleeve and Denros sits back down with him. "Necromancy," Viperish says very quietly. "My former mentor made me think it was the only path, the only river."  
"By Y'ffre..." Denros says softly.  
"Viper was born affinity towards life and death magic," Rishima says. "You see why this one wishes to tear off Viper's mentors face."  
Denros nods. "Necromancy destroys everything, including the user's soul. It is against Y'ffre, and life itself." He looks at Viperish Night. "Yet..." Denros smiles. "If that deer you talked about really was Hircine, then you must have a choice."  
Viperish Night nods softly. Denros is not fearful or hateful. There are some dry scales...friends... who will not turn on him. Seriana is not the only one. "I choose," he says simply. "My mentor then turned on me, and that is why I am here."  
"That is why this one wants to tear off his face," Rishima says, setting back into her mat sleepy.  
"If he ever shows up around here, I'll help you throw him in the ooze!" Denros says. "Well... the ooze is back at home, but... lava! we can find lava!" The Khajiit further in the barracks growls. "Bed! I am now off to bed before I get my face torn off." Denros heads back to his mat.  
Viperish Night settles into sleep, turning to look at Rishima. "Both of you..." he whispers. "Accept me. Despite it all."  
"Rishima told you Viper, you are a good and gentle soul. You can not be held responsible for what a monster made you do, for you pulled away in time." Rishima whispers.  
Viperish Night nods, and his eyes closed. "With both of you, perhaps I can exist here."

  
It had been a very long, very hard day. There had been a small riot in the deep mine, the Breton brothers had been lead out by guards and it was all Rishima could do to keep Viperish Night and Denros from getting involved. Valsvis was in a rage, snapping at anyone who even looked near him, and had punished all the slaves, keeping them working long past dinner. Finally, they were released to the barracks, with hardly any time before curfew.  
Viperish Night falls onto the grass and starts playing with a beetle he finds, gently probing it with his claws. Rishima sits next to him, combing dirt out of her fur. Denros sits down for a few minutes, before leaping up and running around a tree a few times before climbing it like a monkey. Rishima stares at him in utter disbelief. "How can he have so much energy?"  
Viperish Night looks up from his beetle, finding the energy to smile. "I like him." he hisses, before looking at the beetle, the smile fading.  
Rishima gently touches his arm. "You are lost again, Viper."  
Viperish Night looks at her, his eyes so serious, so sad. "I like both of you," he says softly. "Everyone I feel a connection with, everyone who swims near me... seems to go away. Or die." He looks away from her. "You both know my secrets. I... fear him coming and murdering both of you. As he did with Seriana."  
Rishima lies down, her face level with Viperish Night, her eyes sad. The things her friend suffered at the hands of someone he should have been able to trust. She knew he was very damaged. "This one is not afraid of him. He left you here to rot, Viper. You are tormented enough in this existence, he does not need to do anything else." She gently touches his face. "You must not let him haunt you. Or what may happen haunt you. We are here for you. We will not leave you alone."  
Viperish Night nods. "I know you can not promise that, Rishima. But... I will choose to believe the promise that we will be here together, and not be parted."  
Denros leaps from the tree running to them. He slides in the grass. "Oh no!" he says dramatically. "Viper is lost again, and Rishima is serious. The world is ending! THE WORLD HAS ENDED." he gasps and throws one hand up, his eyes rolling back into the head.  
Viperish Night sits up, as does Rishima. "This one thinks if we get too sad, it may kill the Bosmer," Rishima says.  
"That would be sad too." Viperish Night says. He leans over and pokes Denros in the nose with his claw, gently.  
Denros sits up. "Hey! Do not pick my nose! I can do that myself. If I want to. I don't want to. Just to let you know!"  
"...I need to wash my claw now." Viperish Night says with a laugh. And then his eyes get serious again.  
"Oh no, not again!" Denros says.  
Viperish Night tilts his head, looking at Rishima, and then Denros. "I feel... as if I am young again. But this time with friends. I..." He touches his collar, looks in the direction of the mine. "When my thoughts are on you two, and only you two, I am happy. I do not think I have been happy very much."  
"Ever?" Denros says.  
Viperish Night shakes his head. "Always too different. Always alone. Even when I was not... I was. Until now."  
"Rishima thinks we need to stay together," she says firmly. "All of us."  
Denros looks at the two with a smile, serious for once. "Agreed. We are pact bound now! Wait, we have to touch each other. And not on the nose!"  
"Rishima thinks that sounded very wrong." Rishima purrs.  
Viperish Night holds out his hand, and Rishima puts her paw on top. Denros slaps his hand last, and so they are bound.

. . .  
"Idiot cub." One of the male Khajiit mutters as the slaves working in the deep mine come up for the night, including Denros. They quickly join the others, who are already out with supper.  
Denros grabs his portion of stew and sits by Viperish Night and Rishima. "Denros," Rishima growls. "You must stop mouthing off to the guards. This one does NOT like her friends being sent to the deep mine!"  
"I know, I know," Denros says, picking carrots and pea out of his stew. "But those Dunmer bastards have it coming!"  
Viperish Night snatches up the discarded veggies, sticking them into his mouth.  
"You did not just do that!" Denros says. "The poor vegetables. What am I going to tell their parents?"  
Viperish Night blinks innocently. "Do what?" he says, tongue flickering out.  
"By Y'ffre, what am I to do with you heathens!" Denros says with a laugh.  
Rishima's throaty purr echos his laugh. "Things have never been as bad as they are now, but then you come."  
Viperish Night nods seriously. "He is the sun," he says. "We can not escape him."  
Denros throws a carrot at Viperish Night, who snatches it in his mouth. "I never let anything get me down for long!" Denros declares. "Not even this." He sides closer to Viperish Night and Rishima. "By Y'ffre, we three have to have a chance."  
"This again?" Rishima says seriously.  
"I can carry you both. I think." Viperish Night says quietly.  
"But how far will we have to swim before we are safe?" Rishima asks.  
"Yes! Your on board finally!" Denros says.  
"This one never said that. But...." Rishima looks at Viperish Night. "This one does not wish to see this place destroy my friends."  
Viperish Night's gaze moves to distant lands. "When," he says softly. Not a question, for it seems they are all in quiet agreement.  
"When Jone and Jode hide their light," Rishima says, her voice tinted with fear.  
"Two weeks then," Denros says.  
"Try to stay out of trouble," Rishima warns. "We must not attract any attention." 

Two days before the new moons, Denros plops down for breakfast with Viperish Night and Rishima. "Us Bosmer are AMAZING." He proclaims. "I know I should not have, but I gave that damn Dunmer the evilest look imaginable. And he did not even turn around! I cursed him with my face, and he was utterly unaware!"  
Viperish Night stops with the spoon halfway to his mouth, staring at Denros.  
"This one knows, just when you think he could not get any sillier," Rishima says.  
"Amazing, not silly." Denros corrects, pushing his gruel at Viperish Night. "This is made with grain. You may sin in my place."  
Viperish snatches it up, offering some to Rishima. "You need to eat more." She scolds Denros, though she takes some of what Viperish Night offers.  
Denros crosses his arms. "I may be a slave to these Dunmer bastards, but I will not break the Green Pact just to have more energy, more food." His eyes are much more serious than usual. "Besides, there are many insects around. Good for some quick energy."  
Rishima wrinkles her nose. "Insects... I prefer a soft cake drizzled with moon sugar."  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Fish. The only time they feed us fish is when they feed us gruel for dinner. That is not fish." He hisses.  
"You could always eat a Dunmer," Rishima says with a purr. "This one heard that Bosmer eat people."  
Viperish Night chokes on his gruel. "What?"  
Denros pokes the table. "Sometimes. If they deserve it. It is a tradition some Bosmer still practice."  
"Or perhaps if they are really hungry," Rishima adds.  
"My village does not partake in such traditions," Denros says. "Still... Nah. I think I would get sick if I ate one of those Dark Elf's. They cannot taste good. Like bitter ash, I would think!"  
"Bosmer eat people?" Viperish Night says.  
"It is complicated!" Denros says. "I am not even going to explain it. Not going to try."  
"It is time to go anyways," Rishima says.  
"Right, head down, be good," Denros says.  
"And no eating anyone." Viperish Night adds helpfully.  
Denros starts to head out, and pauses, letting the other slaves stream past him till the three are alone. "Two more nights." He says seriously. Rishima and Viperish Night nod. Two more nights before they will try. All others have failed, and if they fail there is no telling what Valsvis will do to them. But they have to try. Try for the impossible, try for the freedom they seek, no matter the cost.


	16. Act 2 - Storm of Fear

On the night Jone and Jode hid their light there was a massive storm. Thunder crashed hard enough to rattle the barracks, lightning flashed across the sky, and a deluge of rain soaked the earth. Viperish Night stands in it, Rishima and Denros stand in the doorway behind him. The rest of the slaves are asleep. "This will make it harder for them to track us!" Denros says quietly, then jumps as a particularly loud crack of thunder startles him.  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "We can not go. This kind of storm will cause the water to rush across the land. I might survive being swept up in a flash flood..." he turns to look at his friends. "You would not. And none of us would survive in the ocean with a storm like this."  
Rishima looks up, the lightning flashes reflecting in her eyes as the wind moves in across the island. "This one fears this is a hurricane. This one is frightened. There has been no storm this great since..." She shivers, falling silent.  
Viperish Night knows what she is talking about. The storm that took her parents into the sea. The storm that caused her to be captured. He turns on her, lightly gripping her arms. "Next month," he says. "We have time."  
"So I have to stare at the damn Dunmer for another month," Denros says. "Well, better than drowning. I do not look good wet. And Rishima, can you imagine what a drowned cat looks like?"  
Rishima laughs a little as the three head back in. "Denros knows how to make fear fade away," she says softly. "This one is ever grateful."

The next morning, they are informed they are to stay inside the barracks until the storm passes. The winds have grown stronger, shaking the walls as they scream across the island. Rishima is huddled in the corner, and Viperish Night and Denros will not leave her side. The other slaves are unsettled as well, the storm's strength has only increased with the mornings light.  
"I would do something so stupid, it would cause Y'ffre to cry, but... it won't help will it?" Denros says.  
Viperish Night turns to glare at the door. "I would rend the storm from the sky if I could. That would help." He sits leaning against Rishima, arms crossed over his knees.  
"Oh, so it's a cuddle fest," Denros says, and sits on Rishima's other side, leaning against her as well. "Soft warm fur. Uh... that is a rude thing to say. It is! I'm sorry! Kind of!"  
Rishima purrs softly. "This one thanks both of you. This one is just so scared. The memories flash across Rishima's eyes so strongly... this one misses her family."  
Denros grows quiet. "I miss mine too. If I had listened to them... well I would be home. But... I'd never of met you two."  
Viperish Night's eyes flicker to Rishima and Denros. "I never had a family to miss," he says. "You two... are my family. The only one I ever have had."

The three stay that way throughout the storm, until the two Breton brothers, Nolestar and Ferrickin, rise. They had been quiet since their punishment a few weeks prior. Viperish Night raises his head, and he hisses at them. "You will die in this storm."  
"Then we die," Nolestar says. "I cannot let my brother get punished by them again. Nolestar leads his brother into the storm.  
Denros stares at the door as it closes. "What do we do?" he says.  
Viperish Night suddenly bolts up, hissing. Rishima looks up startled as he starts to hiss at the door. "Viper, what's wrong?"  
"Stay with her." Viperish Night says to Denros. At their confused looks, he adds. "Can you not hear it? The river has broken, it roars in anger."  
"Flash Flood..." Denros says.  
"Viper, please," Rishima says softly.  
Viperish Night kneels by her. "Only an Argonian can save them against this. And the other Argonians will not."  
Rishima reaches up, touches his forearm. "Be careful, please. If the Dunmer sees you, they will think you try to flee."  
"Well, we do mean that," Denros says. "The hurricane just got in the way."  
Rishima gives him a gentle bat with her paw. "Yes, but we don't need to tell them that!"  
Viperish Night gets up, giving one last look at his friends before dashing into the hurricane.

The wind has died down since earlier, just enough that Viperish Night can make headway against it. He follows the brother's trail, as he feared it leads down off the hill the Barracks sits upon. Halfway down the water laps up to his ankles, and all he can see through the storm is water where there should not be water. His head jerks up as he hears a cry for help. Viperish Night dashes down the rest of the hill, and dives into the water, swimming around debris that has gotten swept in the flood. He surfaces near a huge downed tree, Ferrickin is hanging on for dear life with one hand, the other holds his brother. "He..he...was just trying to save me," Ferrickin says. "I can't take what they did to me again. I can't take this place. But now.. now I think my brothers dead! I...I should just let go. Let us go Argonian. Let us leave this place one way or the other!"  
Viperish Night floats in the water. He cannot tell if Nolestar is dead or not. "Death... is easy." He rasps. "So very easy. It's easier to swim than life." Viperish Night looks at Ferrickin, he is so very frightened and lost. "I chose life, and here I am, in this place instead of free. But it brought me things I never had. It is so very confusing I know, but if you give up... there is nothing more."  
Ferrickin looks at him in utter despair and then lets go of the tree. Viperish Night dives to him, but another wave of water surges and all Viperish Night can see is muddy water sweeping him away. He reaches out in the gloom for something, anything he can grab, and it is something warm that his hands find. He kicks for the surface with it, and finally reaches the hill, struggling and finally reaching the top. Viperish Night shakes the water out of his eyes and looks. It is Nolestar that his hands found. "Warm..." Viperish Night says. "Still alive." He staggers up, and looks at the water, he has to find Ferrickin. But the moment he steps to the water, he is halted by a shout.  
"Stay where you are, lizard."  
Viperish Night turns his head, Valsvis and several guards stand in the wind and rain. "I have to find his brother," he says. "I can find him and bring him back."  
Valsvis signals to the guards, who move on Viperish Night, grabbing him. He wants to struggle. To bite them, but he holds. He cannot fight them off, all it will do is get him in further trouble. His eyes lock onto Valsvis. "I will come back with him."  
"Yes, that's what all escaping slaves say," Valsvis says as the last guard picks up the unconscious Nolestar.  
Viperish Night opens his mouth to argue, but his eyes see past Valsvis to the barracks. To where Rishima is staring out in horror, shaking. She came out in the hurricane, braving her fear to see if he was alright. Nothing he says will convince Valsvis to let him search for Ferrickin. All he will do is anger Valsvis and frighten his friends. He lowers his head. "Very well," he says sadly, quietly. "I will not resist."  
"Take him both to the box." Valsvis orders and the guards take both to the boxes. Viperish Night's eyes dart to them. He has never done anything to justify this level of punishment. Valsvis implemented it when he became slave master. They would throw a slave in there, leave them without food and little water for hours, sometimes days depending on the offense. Running away... even though that is not what Viperish Night had done... was very very bad. And now they would watch him more carefully. He might have ruined their chances to ever try for a run.

The box was so very small. Viperish Night could not even sit up. And Nolestar had been thrown in another one without any treatment. He would most likely die in there, just as his brother was now dead. Viperish Night lies on his side, eyes staring at nothing. How could these Dunmer dry scales be so cruel?  
"Ferrickin..." A faint whisper, from the box they threw Nolestar in there.  
"Dead." Viperish Night rasps. "He thought you died and threw himself in the river. I tried... to rescue you both. I failed and the guards caught us."  
Nolestar is silent, and then sobbing is heard. "Why? Why did you save me and not him, you damn lizard!"  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. He tried so very hard, he failed so very much. Exhausted he falls into an uneasy sleep. 

_"So little Argonian, your reward is thus. To be cursed at and punished."  
Viperish Night opens his eyes, rises. A dream, another dream. Everything is in mist and shadows. "Leave me alone." he hisses. "I want nothing to do with you. And you can not command me to hate!"  
The brutal Argonian's shadow is seen in the dusk. "Still so disappointing." he hisses and fades. ___

__The guards open the box and drag him out the next morning before Valsvis. He glares at Viperish Night. "The Breton told us you did not run. You only came out to save their worthless hides. I would not believe a lesser species, but I truly can not see you running without your little friends." He moves closer, roughly grabbing Viperish Night's jaw. "Think on this, lizard. You ever try to run, you and your friends will suffer greatly. Take this as a lesson. The Breton is unlikely to survive his punishment, and his brother is dead. Because they tried to run." He motions to the guards. "Escort him to the mine."_ _

__Rishima and Denros are hard at work in the mine when the guards bring Viperish Night in. As soon as the guards walk away, Rishima latches onto his arm. "You scared this one," she says quietly. "So much braver than Rishima."  
Viperish Night leans into her touch. It was so cold in the box and she is so warm. Denros puts a hand on Viperish Nights' shoulder. "By, Y'ffre, your alright," he says, more reserved than normal. He has seen Viperish Night's eyes, the haunted sadness reflected in them.  
Viperish Night finally speaks. "I only saved one of them," he says quietly. "Ferrickin threw himself to the water, he thought his brother dead and life here was..." Viperish Night trails off.  
Rishima bows her head. "Not all can adapt to this existence," she says quietly. "Some break." She looks up at Viperish Night. "You saved Nolestar, at least Viper."  
"Yes..." Viperish Night says. "He cursed me, then later told the guards I had not run. They only believed him because Valsvis knows we'd only run together if we tried at all." He shudders slightly. "I did not like it in the box. And I do not think Nolestar will live through it. He was badly hurt, and they did not care for him at all."  
Denros shakes his head. "Damn them..." he says. He does not mean it, but this bolds ill for them. "They will watch all of us more closely now. Hire more guards. We..." he trails off.  
"Can not try." Viperish Night finishes for him. "I will not see either of you suffering. We... stay here. Together."  
Rishima's eyes take in her friend, and worry fills them. "As long as we are together, this one is happy." _ _

__Later that night as Viperish Night sleeps, exhausted from the events, Rishima quietly rises, and looks at her friend for a few long moments, before tugging Denros out of bed. She leads him to the roof, bidding quiet so they do not wake Viperish Night.  
"By Y'ffre, the stars are beautiful after a storm," Denros says, looking up. "Though they seem to mock us. So far above us, so free." He lies down on his back, arms crossed behind his head. "Used to look up at them with my older sister," he says quietly. "Before...she died."  
Rishima settles in beside Denros. "Rishima watched Jone and Jode with her parents. The memories are soft and warm, though tinted with pain."  
"Can't get back those who've moved to Y'ffre's tree-house. Or Jone and Jode land." Denros says. "I miss her, but I can not drown in the past. Why I'm the way I am."  
"Rishima understands. Denros..."  
Denros looks over at her. "Kitty! You did not bring me up here for the view, did you!?" he smiles sadly. "I have to be a little funny. This is not going to be a happy conversation is it?"  
Rishima shakes her head sadly. "You remember this one's words from earlier?" she asks. "About breaking?"  
"You manage," he says.  
"Yes, this one does. This one grew up in this life. And this one thinks you are like a supple sapling, you bend without breaking." Rishima replies.  
"Long as I can give the Dunmer bastards trouble and have you two," Denros says with a grin, and then his grin fades as he sees how serious Rishima is. "This is about Viper," he says. "Come on Rishima, Viper is strong. He'll be fine!" his eyes turn back to the stars overhead. "Won't he?"  
Rishima sits up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Rishima hopes so. But I fear he may not be. Viper is strong, kind, and brave. So many good things exist inside of him. But he has had a much harder life than us. Everything has been taken from our friend, not once but twice. Everyone he has tried to care for, dead or murdered." Denros sits up, turning to Rishima. "Rishima has known Viper for over a year. He cracks little by little. This place will break him. If Trelolos had lived, perhaps he might have been alright, with us beside him. But not now."  
"By Y'ffre..." Denros says. "I knew his life was rocky from what you two have said about his mentor. But..." he looks down, swallowing hard. "I had no idea how lucky I was. Sure, my sister died. But I had my whole family, my whole village. And I just threw it away being a stupid rebellious youth." He looks back at Rishima. "Y'ffre is punishing me for throwing it away, I know it! But Y'ffre is also giving me a way to redeem my stupid mistake, with you two!" He takes a deep breath. "Very well! Damn the Dunmer, damn Valsvis, damn the possible punishments. Next month, we run with Viper. We save our friend."  
Rishima nods. "Rishima is afraid, even more so than before. But we run. And we will keep it quiet. Viperish Night fears for us, so we will wait to tell him until the night Jone and Jode hide their light again._ _

__Two days later Rishima wakes, and Viperish Night is not on his mat. She moves quietly in the early morning hour, so early the dawn is just starting to rise. She finds her friend leaning against the barracks outside, head down. "Viper?" she asks, moving beside him.  
"They took his body to the swamp." Viperish Night says quietly. "I heard them pass and came to see."  
Rishima needs not to ask who's body. Nolestar, punished for his escape attempt despite grievous wounds. "Hold on for Rishima," she says gently.  
Viperish Night hisses softly, but nods. "Holding on is what I do..." he says. "Rishima, I tried to save them. I... fail more than I save. I always have." He looks at his hands, trembling. "If I hold life as well as death in these hands, I should be able to save, not just kill!" He growls, and strikes the wall, sending Rishima stumbling back startled. She has seen her friend angry before, but this rage in his eyes, like the deadly undertow of a river. She starts trembling.  
"Do not break on Rishima!" She commands, and Viperish Night turns to look at her. She takes his face in her paws. "Viper, stay with us. We will..." she trails off.  
"Will what? Suffer if we try?" Viperish Night hisses.  
The door opens, and Denros comes out. "You knocked?" Viperish Night's eyes lock onto Denros. "By Y'ffre, Viper. Drop the fear of our suffering. We are willing to take the chance."  
Rishima glances at Denros and huffs at him. "So much for keeping it quiet." She purrs, dropping her hands to her sides.  
Denros shrugs. "Come on, Rishima. Can I keep a secret? Sure, from people I don't like. From you two?" he leans against the wall and grins at Viperish Night, who's looking very confused. "Get used to it, Viper. The risks are greater. We do not care. We run."  
Viperish Night is very quiet, he bows his head. "I...do you run for..." he trails off.  
"Rishima runs for you," Rishima says. "This one is willing to risk the box if it means freedom for all of us."  
"Box. Oh, Y'ffre." Denros says. "You think the idiot Dunmer could call it something scarier. Like... Rat cesspool. Or Dagon's armpit." he frowns. "There are no rats in it? Because I'm out if there are rats in the cage. Hey ow!" he says as Rishima bats him on the arm. "Kidding, kidding. Rats all over this Bosmer for you two."  
Viperish Night raises his head, focusing on his friends. "We run for each other." he hisses. "All of us."  
"Jone and Jode will hide their light again." Rishima agrees. "Together."  
"By Y'ffre, I'll almost WANT to see the look on Valsvis's face when we get away!" Denros says. "Together!"_ _


	17. Act 2 - Oblivion Take you

The day before the new moons dawns bright without a cloud in the sky. Denros walks with Rishima and Viperish Night to the mines, trailing behind the rest of the slaves a little. "Look at this!" he says, spinning around. "Not a hurricane in sight! I NEVER want to see a hurricane again. They are bad luck! Curse the hurricanes to the ooze!"  
Rishima purrs a laugh. "This one thinks you cannot curse the weather. But Rishima wishes to never see a hurricane again. Rishima's home in Elsweyr was nowhere near the ocean.  
"Never been in a hurricane. My tribe in the marsh was so very far from the oceans." Viperish Night flicks out his tongue. "I do not care for them," he says.  
"No more hurricanes, no more hurricanes!" Denros chants. When the other slaves look back at him, he shakes his fist at them. "I am doing a Bosmer chant for warding off bad weather! YOUR WELCOME."  
"Is that true, Denros?" Rishima says. "This one thinks you just made that up!"  
Denros shrugs. "Did I? Did I really?" With a grin, he races ahead, leaving Viperish Night and Rishima watching just marveling at his energy and good cheer.  
"He is good for us, this one thinks," Rishima says.   
"The sun." Viperish Night says. "He warms our scales and fur." And they head into the mine after their dear friend.

The three are working quietly in their section of the upper mines when the relative peace of the day is shattered. One of the Khajiit, an elder named Mohamkir, collapses, and his pick crashes against a vein shattering it into unusable pieces. Valsvis stalks to the Khajiit. "You stupid clumsy cat! Valsvis snatches his whip off his belt and strikes at Mohamkir with it.  
Denros darts in, the whip curling around his arm. "Damn Dunmer, pick on someone your own age." Denros snarls at Valsvis.   
"You stupid fetcher." Valsvis snarls at Denros. "You really can not help yourself, can you?" he snaps his fingers and guards grab Mohamkir, who is slowly rising, and Denros. "Deep mines. The newest section I think. Let them suffer down there for the day."  
Viperish Night hisses, watching them take his friend away. He turns to Rishima, who lightly touches his arm. Her eyes are filled with fear. "This one has a bad feeling, Viper," she says. "The Khajiit elder is unwell. Denros will get himself in trouble over it. I fear for him."  
"As do I." Viperish Night says, glancing at her. "I'll take care of him," he promises, and she grips his arm tighter. "Rishima begs you to take care of yourself too. This one cannot bear it if anything happens to either of you."  
Viperish Night throws the rock he had been ready to sort down on the ground and strolls toward the entrance flicking his tongue out. Valsvis turns to watch him. "Just where do you think you are going, you damn fetcher?" he yells at Viperish Night.  
"Hmm...." Viperish Night says, pausing. He looks back at Valsvis. "To get a snack. I'm hungry."   
Valsvis's eyes narrow and he snaps at the guards again. "Take him to the deepest section too. Keep all of them down there till after nightfall."  
The guards approach Viperish Night, who raises his hands. He goes with them without a fight.

Denros looks up as Viperish Night is lead in and waits until the guards are out of earshot. "You missed me, you really did!" he says, throwing his arms wide.  
Viperish Night gives him a look. "You worry Rishima," he says softly. "And me."  
"I know, I know," Denros says, turning back to work. "Take care of your elders. Drummed into my head by my folks. Never thought it be so hot a task though!"  
Viperish Night looks around, he's never been this deep in, they had extended to this level only recently. The heat is intense, and a river of lava runs through part of it.   
"Viper," Denros says quietly. "Mohamkir may not make it down here."  
Viperish Night lowers his head. He can do nothing for the elder Khajiit. The slavers cannot be reasoned with. He knows this from their refusal to let him look for Ferrickin. The two brothers' deaths haunt him. He can still see the utter hopelessness in Ferrickin's eyes, the utter despair of Nolestar's voice as he cursed Viperish Night for not saving him. "I know." Viperish Night says softly, sadly.  
"Damn them all to Y'ffre's wrath," Denros says. "We..." he looks around to make sure no one can hear him. "We need to get out of here and inform the Dominion of this island. And if they won't do anything, Ebonheart Pact."  
Viperish Night smiles a little. "You wish to save them all as well."  
"Yes. I messed up, this must be Y'ffre's way of telling me I needed to be here. To save you and Rishima, and the rest of these poor people." Denros says.  
"It would be nice to save instead of destroying." Viperish Night says. "My former mentor bid me to slaughter imperials. Said I was saving people. That cannot be the way to save."   
Denros glances at him. He remembers how Rishima said Viperish Night had a harder life than them. But it was hard to think of his friend as someone who would harm a butterfly, much less people. "No way," he states. "I know you, Viper. Your not capable of something like that."  
Viperish Night stares off in the distance, his memories playing back in his head. "It horrified me. Sickened me. But... Necromancy... when you wield it, an icy darkness covers you. Pity, mercy, right and wrong...vanishes. All there is power surging through your body, your soul. It drowns you and you like it." Viperish Night shudders. "And little by little, that icy feeling takes over, even when you're not using it. My mentor wanted to destroy the part of me that is drawn towards the light, life."  
"Viper..." Denros says. "By Y'ffre, I did not know." Denros quietly works for a few minutes, before turning to him once again. "Why? Why would your mentor work so hard to push you into necromancy, death?"  
Viperish Night's eyes flicker to Denros. "I do not know," he says. "He came to me when I was first exiled from the marsh by the Hist. He knew I had necromantic powers. He knew where to find me. How to lure me in." Viperish Night is growing very distressed. "I was so stupid, so naive, I did not question anything! The fact he would not tell me his name, anything about him! Why he wanted to teach me. I..." Viperish Night falls silent, breathing hard.  
Denros lightly touches his arm. "You said you had no family, Viper. And you lost your tribe. You just was young and lonely." he shakes his head. "Youth is a blessing and a curse. Look how stupid I was. We learn and grow. Your not a bad person, Viper. Bad people just...hurt you."  
Viperish Night places his hand on Denros's. "You and Rishima both, forgive me for my past. I must as well. Somehow."   
The guards get closer, seeing the two paused in their work, so both fall silent, lost in their thoughts as they continue to work in the sweltering heat.

The day progresses slowly from there and the inevitable happens. Mohamkir collapses from the heat and hard work, and a guard unrolls his whip, advancing on the Khajiit. Denros throws his pick down. "Denros," Viperish Night says. "You know it will not help. You know we can not help at this point."   
"And yet, here I go anyway!" Denros declares. "You'd do the same, I've seen you. My turn." Denros charges the guard and the two start fighting, Denros pushing the guard away from Mohamkir, and the guard trying to toss the Bosmer to the ground.   
Viperish Night startles, dropping his pick. Denros and the guard are so wrapped up in fighting with each other they do not notice how close they are to the lava river. Viperish Night dashes over, and the rocks give way under Denros and the guard's feet. Viperish Night dives, grabbing ahold of Denros and pulling him to safety. The guard falls into the lava with a scream that's quickly cut off. Viperish Night and Denros move well away from the lava as Valsvis runs toward them, having come down from the upper levels just in time to see the guard fall to his fiery death. Valsvis charges at the two, throwing Viperish Night to the ground, and hitting Denros hard in the chest, causing him to crash to the ground. "You've done it now, you stupid Fetcher." Valsvis snarls. "Your wisest course of action would be to jump in the lava before I return with the guards." he turns and heads to the upper levels to find more guards.  
Denros kneels on the rocky ground, hand to his chest "Damn Dunmer hits hard." he says breathing raggedly. Viperish Night kneels at his side, eyes darting from the entrance to his friend. There is no way out, save the same fiery death the guard suffered. "By Y'ffre, I'm sorry," Denros says to Viperish Night. "I really screwed our plans up."   
Viperish Night places his hand on Denros's shoulder. "There are always more new moons." he hisses. "There is only one Mohamkir. The dead may rise, but the souls cannot."  
"So poetic!" Denros says with a strangled laugh, then winces. "Remind me not to try to laugh again. I think that damn Dunmer broke a rib." he looks up at Viperish Night. "I laugh in their faces!" he says. "But..." he adds quietly. "I am scared, Viper," he says quietly.   
Viperish Night grips his friend harder. He is frightened too. No one has killed a guard in the whole time he's been here. And Valsvis is a cruel monster of a Dunmer. "I will not leave you. Even if I have to bite their faces off!"  
"Do not say that, Viper!" Denros snaps. "Rishima is waiting for us. At least one of us has to come back to her. Do not attack the guards, damn you."  
Viperish Night blinks, shocked into silence by Denros's anger. "Alright," he says. "But we both are coming back."   
"Oh Viper..." Denros says, looking up at him with frightened eyes. "By Y'ffre, I hope your right."  
Valsvis comes down, with four guards trailing behind them. At his motions, two grab Viperish Night and hold him tight, the other two hold Denros, bringing him before Valsvis. "I'll do this myself," Valsvis says, with a wicked grin.   
"Damn you to the ooze, to oblivion, whatever ones worse!" Denros hisses. "You're a damn heartless bastard!"  
Viperish Night snarls, low and dangerous. "Shut your mouth, lizard," Valsvis says. "Before I include you in his punishment." he pauses. "Then again, there is that fur rug friend of yours. Perhaps..." his venomous gaze falls back onto Denros. "Perhaps she can take your punishment for you. If you want."   
Viperish Night and Denros both freeze. Denros eyes narrow. "You sick monster, I would sooner eat your disgusting hide then agree to that! I am the one who killed the bastard guard!"  
"Miserable worthless fetcher!" Valsvis snarls, and slams his fist into Denro's face, rocking him backward in the guards hold.   
Viperish Night starts to struggle, but Denros looks at him, shakes his head. If Viperish Night makes this worse, Rishima will suffer as well. Neither of them wants that. Both of them would do anything to prevent that.  
Valsvis hits Denros again, and again. He's in a fury and nothing will stop him. Viperish Night cannot stay still any longer. He struggles, hissing but the guards have him too tightly. "Stop...please," he begs, but of course it falls on deaf ears. They are nothing to this monster but animals. Worse than animals.  
Valsvis at last stops, breathing hard, splattered with Denros's blood. Denros is still, too still in the guard's arms. "Might have overdone it," Valsvis says, dismissively. "Nelimar may not be pleased with this, but the Fetcher did kill a guard. Must set an example." He motions for the guards to drop Denros. "Leave him here. He's not even worth bringing back up." The guards drop Denros on the ground, and the guards holding Viperish Night let him go as well, marching behind Valsvis back up to the higher levels.  
Viperish Night falls by his friend's side, his hands gently moving to Denros's throat. His pulse still beats, but just. "Denros..." Viperish Night whispers. "Please..."   
Denros's eyes flicker open. "Tell... Rishima I am sorry," he whispers. "I could not keep out of trouble." Viperish Night bows his head, tears falling on Denros's bloody face. Denros finds the strength to grab Viperish Night's arm."Do...not...break." Denros rasps. "Get out of here. You and Rishima... get out of here..." Denros's eyes flutter shut and his hand falls from Viperish Night as his pulse slows, and finally stops.  
Viperish Night shudders as he leans over his friend's body. "Denros, please come back." he rasps.   
Mohamkir limps over and kneels on the other side of Denros. "This one is unworthy of this sacrifice." the Khajiit says, bowing his head. "May Jone and Jode light your path."   
Viperish Night trembles. "Denros," he says again, there is no answer. There will never again be an answer. "Go with Y'ffre." 

Viperish Night had disobeyed orders and taken Denros's body from the mine. His friend deserved to rest in the light. He did not know what the Bosmer did with their dead, but he knew the guards threw the dead slaves in the swamp. It was a fitting burial for an Argonian, but a Bosmer? For his friend? It is late enough the rest of the slaves have gone to dinner already, and Viperish Night shudders slightly. At least Rishima will not see Denros this way. She will remember him as he was.   
The guards approach them, and Mohamkir moves in front of Viperish Night, growling at the guards as they surface. "Let us do this work for you," Mohamkir says. "We will take our punishment later, yes? Deprive us of dinner if you must."   
Perhaps because Valsvis has left to meet with Nelimar, perhaps one of the guards is not as heartless as the others, but they let Viperish Night carry Denros's body to the swamp, with Mohamkir limping behind. They follow, of course, but do not interfere as Viperish Night lies his friend to rest in the swamp, watching as it claims him. 

Walking back to the barracks and to Rishima is one of the hardest things Viperish Night has had to do. Rishima rises, it's far past time for them to return. Fear and despair are reflected in her eyes, Viperish Night has come back without Denros and she can see the shattered anger and sadness in his eyes. Viperish Night stops before Rishima. "I could not save him." Viperish Night says brokenly and he falls, Rishima catching him and lowering him gently to the ground as he clings to her. "He was thinking of us. Of not getting us in trouble." he continues. "And... he wanted to help them all. All the slaves."  
"No...no..." Rishima says, tears brimming in her eyes "By Jone and Jode, no! How could this happen?"  
Viperish Night shakes violently. "He saved Mohamkir but got in a fight with a guard. The guard fell into the lava. Valsvis saw. Valsvis murdered him! And I could do nothing. I could not save him!"   
"Viper," Rishima says. "Oh Viper, my dear friend. None of us can do anything here. None of us."   
The two stay that way into the night, even as rain begins to fall from the sky as if Y'ffre is weeping for their friend as well.


	18. Act 2 - Despair and Hope, Ocean Breeze

The moonlight washes over both Viperish Night and Rishima. Its been nearly a month since Denros was lost to them.  
Viperish Night stares out at the night, Rishima by his side. She places a paw on his arm, feeling him flinch under her gentle touch. "You are lost again, my friend," she says softly.  
"Its easier to be lost." Viperish Night says, still staring at the night, or perhaps the memories beyond the moonlight darkness.  
Rishima closes her eyes. Yes, it is so much easier. But one can get too lost. She fears she is losing Viperish Night as well as Denros. Her heart weeps when she thinks of the young Bosmer, who never will return home. Who will never again grace them with his light. Rishima will forever miss him, but life moves on regardless, at least for her. But Viperish Night... his eyes are dull, the only time they show any hint of life is when they stare at Valsvis, and then they fill with hatred and anger, nearly enough to drown the world. More than once she's held him back from attacking Valsvis. She knows how he feels, but to attack the Dunmer slave master is a death sentence. She opens her eyes, staring at her friend. She's not even sure Viperish Night cares that he would die if he took down Valsvis. "Come back to Rishima, Viper," she says gently. Viperish Night turns to her, struggling, trying just for her. She's so afraid for him...

The days and nights blend together, there is no further talk of escape. Valsvis watches Viperish Night and Rishima like a hawk, always more than one guard with him now. His cruel eyes always lock onto Viperish Night, seeming to dare Viperish Night to come after him. How long can this go on? Rishima sees the cracks in her friend widen, but there is no path out of this darkness that she can see.

Viperish Night raises his head at dinner a few days later. "I still see you, Rishima," he whispers. Rishima gazes at Viperish Night. "this one knows. We both suffer. But you must try not to break, Viper."  
Viperish Night pushes his food around his plate. "I want his throat in my claws... I want to drown him in his blood." he snarls softly.  
Rishima shivers. All this time she's seen the Viper she knows. Gentle and kind, the desire to help, the unconditional love he shows to her, and Denros. What he could be, away from here. But this side of Viper is one she's only seen rare glimpses of. A side of anger and rage and icy coldness. She feels like the breath is frozen in her chest and it hurts to take a breath. "He will kill you, or the guards will even if you manage it," Rishima says. "And this one will lose you... and this world will lose you."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. "Does this world even care about us?" he whispers, then opens them. "I will try for you, Rishima. Not the world, you. This world has given little but pain to me."  
Rishima's tail drops. He will try for her. But not for the world, not for himself. She silently resumes eating, the food like ash in her mouth. She will lose Viperish Night. And she has no idea how to stop this, how to save him. 

The world is dark. Viperish Night stares at Rishima's sleeping form. She needs him, and he needs her. But he keeps getting so very lost. The will to go on is draining from his river. If not for Rishima he would have gone after Valsvis, tried to kill him before they took him down. And then all would be nothingness. He closes his eyes, losing himself to sleep.

_"You turn toward death..."  
Who is speaking with him? Viperish Night feels adrift. "Leave me ALONE!" he snarls. Why won't they just let him curl up and let the darkness take him. He curls up on the ground, shivering.  
"Viper..." the voice says, so sad.  
The dream starts to dissolve, and Viperish Night's head snaps up. Only two have ever called him Viper. "Wait!" he says. "Please... do not go." The dream fades._

Viperish Night sits up and looks at Rishima who has already woken up. He does not want to hurt her, but it is so very hard to swim. Rishima looks at him seriously and offers him her paw. He takes it. She always is so warm, so gentle. 

That day at the mine, Rishima turns her back for a moment. Just a moment. Valsvis is tormenting another slave and Viperish Night turns and surges toward the Dunmer, murder in his eyes. Rishima ponces, catching him just before he can reach Valsvis, and they both crash to the ground. Valsvis turns around, narrowing his eyes. "So the lizard wishes to act like a rabid beast," he says, motioning for the guards. "Take both of them to the deep mines. Take them to the deepest part," he says, with a twisted grin. The deepest part, the part where Denros was murdered.  
Viperish Night stumbles back, the guards take his arms. Rishima looks at him, then casts her eyes to the ground. "This one begs you. Any other punishment. Do not send him there. Send this one if you must but.."  
Valsvis cuts them off. "One more word, cat, and you both will not come up for days." Rishima freezes. "That is what I thought. Take them." The guards drag Viperish Night below, and Rishima follows. Valsvis does not try sending for more guards, he knows she'll follow Viper down into the depths of Oblivion if she must.  
The two are set to work in the hot unforgiving depths, and Viperish Night's head is down. "I got you in trouble," he says.  
Rishima does not immediately answer. She is trying not to shake, not to remember the mine shaking, the explosion that killed her friends before Viper had arrived. This is even deeper than that. "This one does not blame you," she says softly. "Rishima is a coward. You and Denros were always so brave. So fearless. Rishima...is not."  
Viperish Night's eyes find Rishima. "This place destroys us." he hisses. "Piece by piece. You were brave once."  
"Brave or foolish this one was," Rishima says softly. "Being sent to the mines terrified this one. All the rebellion I did, the trouble I caused, it only caused me pain. Being brave caused this one pain." Rishima sighs softly. "You are right, Viper. This place destroyed that part of me."  
They work throughout the day, Viperish Night is silent. Its all he can do to keep the memories at bay. To not look at the spot Denros died. To not remember. As the day progresses his hands shake more and more, and finally he freezes, his head turning to look as if he cannot help it.  
"Viper, come back to this one," Rishima says. "Please. Come back to Rishima."  
The utter helplessness, the blood pooled on the ground. Denros, broken, and dying. The memories overwhelm him, and he growls, and suddenly throws his pick, it sails and crashes into the lava, sinking with a hiss into the fiery depths. The growl turns into a roar that causes the other slaves to startle. Rishima touches Viperish Night's shoulder gently, and he flinches. "Viper, be calm," Rishima says. "This one... he will come. This one can not bear you hurt like.."  
Viperish Night turns to her. The depths of darkness in his eyes cause her to flinch. "Let him come." Viperish Night hisses. "I will paint the mine with his blood."  
Rishima stumbles back. This is not the Viper she knows. She falls to her knees, shaking. Being here where she knew Denros died. And just up a level, where her Khajiit friends had died. And now she is going to lose Viperish Night too. He will cause Valsvis to come down, he will attack him, and he will die. She bows her head to the ground, crying.  
Viperish Night's eyes clear and he stares down at Rishima in shock. He is causing her such pain and fear. He falls to her knees beside her and grips her arms with his hands. "I'll try harder," he says. "I'll try harder for you, Rishima. Just do not cry. Please..."  
Rishima raises her head looking into Viperish Night's tortured eyes. He will try...but she fears he will still fail. "Rishima knows." She whispers. "Viper... this one misses Denros. This one always will miss our Bosmer. But it cannot consume us to the point of madness."  
Viper Night bows his head. "I know. I just...want to hear his voice again."  
One of the younger Khajiit approaches them and hands Viperish Night his pick. "Ji’hira knows what you tried to do for the Bretons. What your friend did for Mohamkir. All you have tried to do. Most of us give up quickly. It is...easier that way."  
Viperish Night looks at Ji'hira, and the pickax, and slowly takes it. "I..." he says softly.  
"Think nothing of it! Those silly Argonian's may not care for you, but... the rest of us..." Ji'hira bows his head. "You and Denros are something not seen often." he turns, and moves back to his spot, using his claws on the rock.  
Rishima gently touches Viperish Night's shoulder, and this time he does not flinch. "Come, Viper. The day is soon over."  
Viperish Night nods and returns to work with Rishima, his gaze is thoughtful, yet so incredibly sad. Rishima, the others... they thought so much of him. Thought he could keep being strong. He... was not sure.

He keeps going for her. The days blend together until he's not sure how much time is passing. One day at a time, but all the days drown him further. All Viperish Night can do is try not to cause trouble. Try to keep going. Try to swim in a river when all he wants to do is drown. Rishima is his only light, but it is getting hard to even see her.  
Again, they work in the mine, just like the day before. He works beside Rishima, but his gaze is ever far away. Rishima works quietly beside him, before she suddenly stops, her fur-raising. She hisses, and Viperish Night jerks, snapping out of his fugue. "Rishima?" Before she can answer a roar echos throughout the mine and the earth starts to shake. Viperish Night looks around, stumbling, Rishima grabs his arm. "Earthquake. We need to flee from the mine," she says.  
Viperish Night's gaze sharpens. He has never been in one. The earth is violent, angry. And the rocks are cracking. He jerks Rishima to the side as the ceiling partially collapses, crashing rocks down where they had just been standing. The two dash for the entrance with the rest of the miners, falling near the entrance. The earth shakes for a few more moments and then falls still. The air is filled with dust, slaves coughing in it.  
Valsvis races into the mine with so very many guards. "Return to the barracks." He snaps at the slaves and then races deeper into the mine with the guards.  
Rishima's eyes grow wide and she pulls Viperish Night outside. "Cave in. Explosions. This one is afraid, this one insists we get out of here fast."  
Viperish Night looks back at the mine and hisses, walking with her and following the other slaves. He's surprised, however, when Rishima pauses and grips his arm. "Now," she says, her voice quivering.  
Viperish Night looks at her in confusion, and then slow understanding.  
"The guards are consumed with checking the mine and securing the slaves below...if any survived. It will be a long time before they check on us. Before they notice we are missing. Rishima thinks we run. Now."  
Viperish Night bows his head. Stay here and he may forget Rishima for a moment, enough time for him to go after Valsvis and ensure his own death. His head slowly rises, and his eyes show determination for the first time in what seems like forever. He finds he still wants life and not death. He does not just want to curl up and die. "Run," he repeats, and the two run down the hill and head toward jungle marsh. 

Viperish Night and Rishima cross the river at a shallow point, and then into the marshy jungle. "Follow me." Viperish Night says. This part of the island is filled with snakes, crocodiles, and other beasts, but Viperish Night feels... alive for the first time in a long time. He knows places like this. How to know where the crocodiles lie, the near-silent sound of a snake on the hunt. Larger hunting beasts that crash through the jungle, how to pinpoint what direction the sounds coming from, and avoid it.  
Viperish Night and Rishima rest under a tree after several hours of moving through the swamp. It is very slow going, no one lives or comes to this part of the island. It is overgrown with plants, and very hard to forge a path with no tools. Viperish Night snags a fish out of a deep hole and offers half to Rishima, who sniffs it and slowly eats it. She's not used to eating raw food, but Viperish Night remembers the marsh. Most of the Argonian's food was eaten raw.  
"The earthquake happened in the morning," Rishima says. "So it must be early afternoon."  
Viperish Night looks up, finishing his fish. "We will make the ocean at sunset."  
Rishima stands and looks out at the swamp. "This one is afraid of the ocean, Viperish Night. Rishima is trying to be brave. Trying to remember how to be brave."  
Viperish Night stands as well, taking her hand. "I am trying to remember how not to be lost. How it feels to have hope," he says.  
"The ocean... at night." Rishima pauses, not wanting to ask the next question. The night of the hurricane flashes across her eyes.  
"Less chance they will see us at night. I will keep you safe," he says.  
Rishima looks up at him. "Let us go to Elsweyr, Viperish Night. Let Rishima show you her home, so Jone and Jode can shine their light upon you and banish the darkness from your eyes."  
Viperish Night's eyes fill with regret. He always thought the darkness was solely from his magic, his necromancy. He realizes now, that it is within him as well, and may always be. He was so close to giving into it. So close to giving up. If not for Rishima... "Yes," he says simply. "I wish to go with you, Rishima." he smiles sadly at her, and the two continue the long journey through the swamp.

At sunset the swamp waters grow shallower, the brush thins out. The roar of the ocean waves reaches them. Viperish Night grabs ahold of Rishima's hands and the two race the final yard, their feet, at last, touching the sandy beach. The sun's last rays are on their back, the setting sun casting the ocean in a glowing red light. Tall rocks litter the beach, casting long dark shadows. "Viper," Rishima says in wonder. "Rishima thinks she likes the ocean now! She is here with you, and we can go home."  
"Elsweyr," Viperish Night says. "It could be home, yes." he pulls Rishima toward the ocean waves  
"That is far enough." Rishima and Viperish Night freeze as Valsvis and his guards stream onto the beach from behind the rocks.  
"By Jone and Jode, no," Rishima whispers, turning her back on the ocean to back away from the guards that surround them.  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow at Valsvis and he hisses. "You were waiting for us." he snarls. Rishima's eyes widen as she figures out what Viperish Night has. "You let us trek through the swamp. You let us think we..." Viperish Night trails off.  
"Could escape? Is that what you wanted to say, lizard?" Valsvis says as he advances on the two. "No one escapes. But I so wanted you to try. I want an excuse to break you. The way your damn eyes are always looking at me. Sickening, thinking you even have a chance at taking me on."  
Viperish Night's eyes fill with anger, his muscles clench. Rishima touches him gently, trying to stop him, calm him, though she's terrified herself. To find her courage, only to fail. Still trying to be brave, if only for her friend.  
"Oh, of course." Valsvis sneers. "Back down lizard, and come back peacefully as your cat wants." he smiles at Viperish Night. "No need to end up dead and broken on the ground like your friend, right?"  
Viperish Night's eyes turn icy cold and he races across the sand at Valsvis. Valsvis just smiles as the guards take him down, slamming him into the sand. More guards grab Rishima, and she at last lets her head fall. "Bring them." Valsvis orders and they walk toward the northeast, towards a road that leads to the ocean. "Escaping and attempting to attack your betters," Valsvis says. "The things I will have leave to do to you two now."  
Viperish Night and Rishima are thrust in a wagon, their hands secured behind there back. Viperish Night looks at them, his eyes shards of ice as he hisses. Rishima just sits beside him, head down, as they are taken back. 

Valsvis has the guards take Viperish Night and Rishima to a building they had not even known existed. It is a dismal room with wooden walls, no windows, and dirt floors stained with old blood. Valsvis turns to look at them, a cruel smile on his face. "Escape attempt and an assault on me." he moves closer to Viperish Night and Rishima. "For attempting to run, you'll endure the box for however many days I deem fit." His eyes move to Viperish Night. "That would be it, had you not assaulted me, lizard."  
"You golded him into it!" Rishima snarls. "We would have gone quietly if not for that!"  
Valsvis slaps Rishima across the face, and Viperish Night surges against the guards holding him. "Kill you..." he hisses.  
"Damn Fetcher, always talking back." He turns back to Viperish Night. "You and that Bosmer, always inspiring the other slaves. But Nelimar would not sign termination on either of you. To low of stock, can't waste them. Even if they cause me so much trouble!" He smirks. "Unless you kill a guard. Then...well that was a bit of good fortune for me. But no guards died, this time so you and the cat won't die...this time."  
Viperish Night twists in the guards hold, hissing. He wants Valsvis's throat... he wants to kill him. His eyes filled with darkness and murder, the guards struggle to hold him back. "Your the one who will die." Viperish Night says coldly.  
Valsvis moves closer to Viperish Night and grabs his jaw, Viperish Night tries to snap but the long trek has exhausted him and Valsvis's grip is like iron. "You are in this room for punishment," Valsvis says coldly. "To teach you not to strike at your betters, you will be lashed to teach you manners." he pauses, his eyes moving to Rishima. "Both of you."  
The cold leaves Viperish Nights' eyes in an instant, leaving only horror. "She did not attack you. I did." Viperish Night says desperately, trying to wrench himself from Valsvis's grip.  
"You two were together. Co-conspirators. She probably told you to kill me." Valsvis releases Viperish Night and turns to his guards. "Hang them up."  
Viperish Night stares at Valsvis shaking, and then... he lowers his head in submission. "It was my idea. My plan to escape, my desire to murder you." he rasps. "Rishima is terrified by the ocean. She would never have tried to swim it if not for me. And she is wise enough not to attack..." Viperish Night grits his fangs, then continue. "Our...betters. I am stupid. And foolish. The punishment should be mine alone."  
Valsvis turns back to Viperish Night and smiles. "So you can kneel, lizard." He glances at Rishima. "I think I actually believe you. You'll take her lashes as well as your own then."  
Rishima lifts her head, her eyes wide in horror. "Viper, no," she says. "This can take pain. But if you take both our punishments, it could kill you! Rishima can not take that!"  
"It is up to him." Valsvis muses and turns back to Viperish Night. "Lizard."  
"My fault." Viperish Night says again. "Only my fault."  
"Hang the lizard up," Valsvis orders his guards. "And keep the cat in here. She should watch as I set an example of him."  
Rishima struggles in the guard's grip, begging them not to do this, to stop as Valsvis takes a barbed whip off the wall. "You'll kill him," Rishima says desperately. "This one begs you, do not do this!"  
Valsvis turns his head to look at her with pitiless eyes. "You really should not have tried to run, cat." Valsvis turns back to Viperish Night and raises the whip and it falls, striping scales from Viperish Night's back, leaving a bloody jagged streak. Viperish Night howls, and struggles against his bonds. Valsvis smirks. "You will regret everything lizard. I'll make sure of that." Again Valsvis raises his whip, and Viperish Night's tortured screams echo in the small building. Rishima falls limp in the guard's arms, and it seems like forever before the last lash falls.  
Rishima slowly raises her head, Viperish Night is so very still. To still. She shudders, eyes filled with horror. Had this monster killed Viper as he did Denros? "Viper..." she whispers brokenly.  
Valsivis hands the bloody whip to the guard. "Take care of that. And throw the lizard into the box." He turns to look at Rishima. "If the cat resists, throw her in with him."  
The guards drag Viperish Night and Rishima to the box, as she watches them throw his still form into it, she surges, snapping at the guards. She will not let him be in the box by himself. She will not. She starts cursing the guards, hissing, and spitting, and so they throw her in there with Viperish Night.

Inside the box its pitch black and even with her Khajiit eyes, Rishima cannot see even a little. She feels her way to Viperish Night. He was so still after Valsvis was done torturing him. She fears he is dead, but his pulse beats steady under her paw. "Viper." she sobs, carefully rolling him onto his chest. She curls up beside him shaking. "Why did you do this for this one. Why?" It is her fault, not his. She told him to run. She thought... foolish stupid thoughts that she could go home and take Viper with her. That they could live happily in Jone and Jode's light. She had not had such thoughts since she was younger, and learned that there was no escape. How could she turn back to such stupid thoughts!? There was no escape, there never would be. Rishima falls into an exhausted sleep beside her unconscious friend.  
Viperish Night does not wake the next day. Scant light comes into the box, enough to see the utter ruin of Viperish Night's back. Rishima uses the scant water the guards give them to try and clean the grievous wounds before curling up beside him and falling into a despairing sleep.  
Rishima wakes in the dark, it is night again. But it is so hot. Her blood runs cold, Viperish Night is hot, too hot, the wounds are infected. "Please," she begs, slamming her paws against the box's walls. "He'll die in here!" Rishima roars for hours, but no one comes. Finally, she curls up beside Viperish Night again, seeking the only escape from this nightmare that there is, sleep.  
When daylight comes again, she roars until her voice is hoarse. Viperish Night is getting worse. The wounds fester, he will die. They don't even bother with water today.  
Night again, Rishima lies by Viperish Night in utter despair. But this night there is a strange scratching sound. Rishima turns to it, a small hole in the box appears and a furry paw pushes food and water inside followed by a bow of mashed up herbs. "Mohamkir was a healer once," he says from outside the box. "Cover his wounds in these."  
Rishima takes the bowl and crawls to Viperish Night, covering his back with the pungent herbs. She returns to the small hole. "Mohamkir, this one thanks you. You risk so much. Valsvis is so angry at Viper." Rishima whispers. "We...should not have tried to run."  
"This one thinks Valsvis would have gotten Viperish Night to attack him eventually. The result, the same." Mohamkir says. "As for risk, this one does not care. Denros saved this unworthy one. The least this one can do is save his friend. And these one's time... is nearly up. Mohamkir will return tomorrow." Soft foot-pads walk away from the box, and Rishima curls up beside Viperish Night again.  
Mohamkir returns the following night. Viperish Night is still unconscious, still so hot. "The fever has yet to break," Rishima says quietly.  
"Time and Jone and Jode be with him," Mohamkir says. "Mohamkir will bring fresh herbs and food and water every night until the fever breaks or takes him. You have this one's word."'  
"Rishima is forever grateful," Rishima says softly, treating Viperish Night's wounds, and then curling up beside him again.

_Viperish Night is in a river. It burns his scales and yet at the same time freezes them. It is so very dark, and he cannot find his way to the surface, back to Rishima. He can hear her calls, her tears. And yet the river drags him ever farther from her.  
Suddenly the river starts to swirl violently and Viperish Night scrambles for anything to grab onto as it sweeps him down further until he crashes onto a damp cave floor. The brutal Argonian is standing over him in the shadows. "You suffer for her?" he snarls at Viperish Night. "Because of her, you are dying. Is it worth it?"  
Viperish Night crouches, snarling. "Not Rishima's fault." he hisses.  
"She makes you weak. You would throw away your life for hers." The brutal Argonian snarls.  
Viperish Night stands, looking him right in the eyes. "Lies. She makes me stronger. Go away." he hisses.  
The brutal Argonian moves around Viperish Night, circling him like a shark. "You will die then. Broken and weak."  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "Then I will die," he says sadly. Never to see Rishima again...it pains him. Perhaps he truly wishes to live after all.  
"Your bones will rot and you will never return to the Hist." The brutal Argonian hisses.  
Viperish Night raises his head. This Argonian must know he was banished and cut off from the Hist. Why say such things? Viperish Night says the words in his heart, the truth that is inescapable. "I will never return to the Hist, no matter what river I swim in," he states. "And... I do not wish to. It is not my river, and I refuse it utterly."  
The brutal Argonian is silent before he smiles showing razor-sharp fangs. "If you clung to any desire to be reunited with the Hist, I would let you die," he says, and he stops his circling to stand in front of Viperish Night, his cold unforgiving eyes staring into the depths of Viperish Night's. "You understand true suffering now, eventually you will know utter despair. You will break, and what you become after..."  
Viperish Night slowly backs away. He can not even say he will not break, because he is already so close to the edge. Rage and hatred had all but consumed him, Rishima was his only light, his only hold on what was good inside of him. "Who are you?" he asks.  
The brutal Argonian studies him. "Stalks-in-Darkness. Deathfang Tribe." he finally says. "That is only one of my truths. When you are strong enough to break your bonds, follow it and you will find your answers." Stalks-in-Darkness laughs, and vanishes into the shadows. _

Viperish Night's eyes flicker open. The first thing he sees in the dim light of the box is Rishima sleeping beside him. He was so very near unconscious, but he remembers her fighting them. Getting thrown in here with him so she could care for him. His gaze softens, and he closes his eyes again. He feels so tired, so warm though the heat is easing. Fever, infection. He also feels something on his back, soothing the burning, the pain. How did Rishima manage to help him? He shivers slightly, the thoughts in his head a confusing river. They tried to escape, failed. It resulted in such pain for both of them. And almost killed him. And in the dreams of darkness and death, that Argonian appeared once more. And gave him what had not ever been given to him before, answers, or at least one. Though it was useless to him. He could not escape, he could not break his bonds. He was here, and now there was a choice before him. He opens his eyes to look at Rishima, and for a few long moments his thoughts still, and he can, at last, understand how he feels for Rishima. He knows his choice. Fight or surrender. His blood cries at him to fight, he is not meant to serve. But down that road lies only pain and death, not only for him but for Rishima as well. Surrender... it makes his blood boil. But surrender... will end the pain, and he can be with Rishima. It is not all he would want, and it will destroy part of him. But... not all of him. He reaches out, his claws gently touching Rishima's face, her eyes open, those lovely green depths that see all of him and hold only acceptance and perhaps something more. She reaches out, and touches his face, feels his cooling scales. The fever has broken.  
"Viper." Rishima says "You almost did not survive. Why? This one is not worth it."  
"Worth it." Viperish Night rasps. "Worth it to me."  
Rishima closes her eyes, weeping silently. "We can not escape. You will..." she trails off.  
"Open your eyes for me." Viperish Night says softly, and she does. "Listen to me, Rishima. I...surrender." At her startled look, he smiles sadly. "You are right. Fighting leads only to pain, suffering. Nothing I do will bring us freedom. I rather... I rather have you, then the death fighting would eventually bring me."  
"This one... all the things you said," Rishima says softly, and Viperish Night shakes his head.  
"I fight against a current I cannot fight against, and I risk losing the few things I have left." he touches his forehead to Rishima's. "I cannot leap to freedom to another river. But... perhaps that is alright."  
"How can it be?" Rishima whispers.  
"Because you are my river now." Viperish Night says. "If we swim together and cause no waves, perhaps it will be enough."  
Rishima is silent before she cups Viperish Night's face in her paws. "Viper, Rishima would wish a better path for you, but this one also does not wish to lose you. Rishima can not change our fate but..." she purrs softly. "You are Rishima's moons, Viper. This one wishes to be by your side for what time we have."  
Viperish Night's clawed hands wrap around hers. "Then this is what we have, each other," he says. "Our paths are here, and they are one." Viperish Night and Rishima fall asleep in each other's arms.

The day passes and the sun sets, and then the door to the box is opened, startling Viperish Night and Rishima awake. The guards are waiting, and Rishima crawls out first, then turns to help Viperish Night, both standing in the evening light. Valsvis is waiting for them, giving Viperish Night a hostle puzzled look. "I did not expect you to survive," he states, eyes narrowed. He snaps his fingers, and the guards circle the box and find the hole. Rishima had tried to cover up. One of the guards approaches Valsvis, whispering something to him. "The only one who could have known to help you is Mohamkir. And he is beyond my punishment."  
Viperish Night grows stiff, and Rishima touches him on the shoulder. "His time was near." She quietly says. "It was Jone and Jodes will to take him to the sands behind the stars. He is beyond their reach now."  
Viperish Night forces himself to relax, and then he looks at Valsvis. He still feels the icy rage, the desire for this mer's blood in his claws. But it brings only suffering and death. And Valsvis is cruel enough to make Rishima suffer as well. He softly sighs. There is no other way, no other path. It will break something in him to do this. But it is the only way to be with Rishima, to cease their suffering. He touches Rishima gently, then steps toward Valsvis. The guards tense, but Viperish Night's spine is down in surrender. He kneels in front of the Dunmer, eyes on the ground. "We will cause no further trouble," he says. Rishima moves forward as well, joining Viperish Night, her head down as well.  
Valsvis is silent for a few long moments before he speaks. "So you can be broken, lizard." he motions for the guards. "Take them to the barracks. Work will resume for both of you in the morning."  
Viperish Night and Rishima rise and follow the guards. Once in the barracks, the two pull their mats together and sit on them facing each other. "Are you sure of this?" Rishima says. Viperish Night's head rises. Some of the light has faded within them, but not all. He nods. "It is the only way." Viperish Night says. "The only way...that will not result in our pain and death. As long as you are here with me, I can accept this."  
"Rishima can as well," Rishima says sadly. "This life is almost all I have ever known. You make it brighter." She leans into him, and the two are silent for long moments before she speaks again. "Most of you can accept this," she whispers.  
Viperish Night sighs softly. "The part of me that cannot... I will not feed it. It will die eventually. But I swim with you, and I can exist without it." The two lie down together, letting sleep take them. Viperish Night's last thought before he falls asleep is that Stalks-in-Darkness is so very wrong. He may despair, but he will also know some sort of happiness. Rishima makes him stronger, not weaker. He loves her, as he has never loved another. And to know she feels the same. It will be enough to keep most of him alive in this life.


	19. Act 2 - Learning to live again

-nearly 2 years later-

Viperish Night eyes the carrot up and down. Not a single blemish or insect hole. He lays it in the basket and moves onto the next leafy spray. A glance over his shoulder ensures him Rishima is well, she's picking potatoes. The sunlight is so soft on her fur. Viperish Night smiles softly, before turning back to his task.   
So much has changed in two years. Viperish Night would not have thought this is how things would have ended up as. Even when he and Rishima had chosen to swim the same river, his vision of their future started and ended in the mine. Not here in Nelimar's garden. He looks up at the cloudless sky, remembering.

_After their failed runaway attempt, and Viperish Night's surrender and submission, there had been a period of grief, for both of them. Grief at the lost chance, at the pain suffered, the humiliation. But, as Rishima was fond of saying, life went on. He no longer caused any trouble for their Dunmer slavers. Kept his head down, did his work as well as he was able. It was hard at first, the muscles in his back had been damaged and it was near agony to pick up a rock, to swing a pick. Rishima had been there, a balm. And Ji’hira and the other Khajiit moved in, helping as much as was safe to, and eventually, Viperish Night healed, though the scars would always remain, the ones outside and the ones inside. If Rishima had not been there...but she was, and it was for she that Viperish Night lived. He had cared for only a few people, but the depths of love he felt for Rishima staggered him. He never had much experience with it, never been shown it. But Rishima had opened his eyes, for she loved him just as much as he loved her._

_They lived in quiet and with their heads down for six months before Rishima collapsed in the mines, coughing violently. Viperish Night is by her side in an instant, eyes darting for the guards. For the punishment that is sure to come. But Ji’hira swaggers up to the guards and starts to gesture in big arm swings. "The world is falling! Look up! Ji’hira is scared!" A female Khajiit named Nariba, one who arrived a few months ago from another mine which had failed and sold off its slaves, hurries over to Rishima's side, helping her up. The fit ceases, and Rishima stands up. Later, Nariba speaks with them over dinner. It is a condition that happens sometimes to those that work in the mines. There is no known treatment, and it gets worse throughout a miner's lifetime, which is usually shorter due to complications that can arise. Once more, Viperish Night and Rishima know despair, but what happens a week later surprises them both.  
Nelimar comes into the mine. It is a strange enough event to make the slaves pause for a moment, before continuing their work. Nelimar prefers to stay at a distance from the mine, managing from his manor. He looks around, then approaches Valsvis and says something quietly to him. "Not those two!" Valsvis snarls, and a look of anger crosses Nelimar's face, and the two move to outside the mine._

_~-~  
"You must be joking," Valsvis says, pacing.   
"You dare speak to me in this manner?" Nelimar snaps. "You are under my employ, despite the fact you have cost me more slaves then Trelolos ever did."  
Valsvis takes a deep breath. "Forgive me, Nelimar. But that lizard is a known trouble maker. I told you of all the trouble he caused, including his escape attempt and his assault on me."  
"I also heard from the guards that you golded him into the latter," Nelimar says coldly. "I warned you before, if you cost me any further slaves without reasonable cause, you would be fired, and I would make sure everyone on this island knew why." he pauses, waiting for Valsvis to back down, which he does. "The Ebonheart pact ships have been patrolling in the routes to this island, therefore there have been no new shipments of slaves. We are lucky that my mine is over capacity as far as slaves are concerned. Some are not so lucky. Do you understand?"  
"Yes, Nelimar." Valsvis says stifly.   
"Two of my house slaves have passed from old age," Nelimar says. "My remaining two are old, and cannot perform at peak efficiency. With no new shipments, I have little recourse but to transfer two slaves from the mines."  
"Of course. But why those two?" Valsvis asks.  
"They are a bonded pair, are they not? And I have not heard any complaints by you of them causing trouble." Nelimar asks.  
"Only because I broke the lizard," Valsvis says, and then at Nelimar's icy glare backs down. "No, they have been properly cowed and I and my guards have had no problems with these last six months. And yes... as much as it disgusts me, they seem to be."  
"Bonded pairs usually are more obedient." Nelimar muses. "Once properly conditioned of course. More to lose, when they have little else to lose." he turns to leave. "Tomorrow morning, transfer them to my manor, I will have Ekapi awaiting them for instruction. The cat has been a house slave before, she should pick it up fast and can help the lizard adapt." Nelimar walks off, leaving Valsvis fuming. He looks back at the mine and stalks inside.  
~-~  
The next morning Valsvis stops Viperish Night and Rishima after breakfast, there is a guard with him. The two stay still, heads down. What could they have done now? Valsvis informs them they are being transferred to Nelimar's house, and the guard will escort them. And not to cause any trouble. The two go quietly, and the guard hands them over to the elder Khajiit, who informs them that her name is Ekapi, and they are to be Nelimar's house slaves, and to be trained, or in the case of Rishima, retrained. Rishima at last raises her head, a smile gracing her face.  
"Ekapi." She says, and Ekapi looks at her, blinking more than a few times.   
"Rishima, is that you? This one had no idea it was you they were to bring Ekapi!" She embraces Rishima, and Rishima lays her head against the elder Khajiit's chest, purring.   
"Of course it is Rishima! Oh!" Rishima says pulling back, looking up at Ekapi's eyes, paw gently touching her face. "Your eyes," she says sadly.  
"Old age does have its challenges," Ekapi says and turns to Viperish Night. "All they told me was they were bringing a bonded couple for me to train. I still can see enough to see this is no Khajiit before me."  
Viperish Night is looking at Ekapi in curiosity. "I am an Argonian," he says and looks back down.   
Rishima takes his hand. "Ekapi means no harm, Viper! She is one of the kindest Khajiit I have ever known and tried to teach this one. I failed to listen to her lessons."  
Ekapi puts her paw on Viperish Night's shoulder. "This one was just curious, this one knows you must be a good man. Rishima would never settle for anyone who was not of a gentle heart. It just surprises Ekapi to know its not a Khajiit!" She purrs and leads them into the garden. "It does this one's heart good to see you from the mines, Rishima."  
"Rishima's days of troublemaking are far past her," Rishima says.   
"As is mine." Viperish Night adds. "Rishima is my river, and I cause no further waves."   
Rishima smiles at him. "My moons."_

_Ekapi retrained Rishima, and an elder Argonian house slave, Snails-In-Garden trained Viperish Night. At first, Viperish Night was hesitant, even Argonian's far from the Hist instinctively shied away from Viperish Night. But when asked about his hesitation, Snails-In-Garden just laughs when Viperish Night tells him the short version of why. "I was hatched here! What do I care about that, I know nothing of proper Argonian ways."  
Things were different from that time out. Gone was the hard labor in the mine, the fear of the guards and Valsvis. Things were far easier as a house slave, as long as one properly behaved. And Viperish Night and Rishima had learned that lesson the hardest way imaginable. The memories still haunted them, but they found their peace in this life, and with each other. Much of the time, their work was right next to each other. To Viperish Night, being able to be by Rishima working in the sunlight instead of the dim light of the mine was a balm to his damaged soul. And so time passed this way. _

Rishima fills the cart with some of the vegetables they picked, and Viperish Night helps, and looks at the gate. It was just Nelimar living here, and so some of the vegetables and other things got sold at the market. Ekapi was the one to take them, along with a guard, but the duties had been transferred to Rishima a few months after they had been transferred here. He was not sure he liked Rishima going to the small port town, but then again he had never been fond of towns and cities. Rishima sees his expression, and laughs a little, moving closer to him. "Every time this one goes to town, you look like the world is ending." she leans her head against his, purring.   
Viperish Night leans into her touch, taking in her warm sun-kissed fur and smell. "Sometimes I think this is a dream," he says. "And I will wake into a nightmare once more."   
"Oh, Viper." Rishima steps back, looking into his eyes lovingly. "This is no dream, though if it was Rishima would never wish to wake. It is not perfect, but it is far better than this one ever could have hoped for."  
Viperish Night nods. He still sometimes cannot believe it, the time in the mines seems like a horrible nightmare, but as much as he loses himself in Rishima, and the life they have now, the nagging fear that something will come along and take it away still nibbles on his tail. He pushes it away and watches Rishima walk out with the guard. She will return, she always does. His head turns as Snails-In-Garden calls for him, and he remembers that there are storm shutters to repair today. 

The next day it rains, and Viperish Night stares at the window, glaring at it. He used to like rain, but he does not care for it anymore. He turns his head as Ekapi comes out of his and Rishima's room, worry in his eyes.   
Ekapi rests her paw on Viper's shoulders. "This one knows you worry, but her condition is not getting worse, and in time it may get better. The rain just aggravates it. Let her rest today. Besides, this one needs help cutting the vegetables for dinner. Snails-In-Garden was beside himself when Ekapi cut herself last time. The vegetables are just too small to see."   
Viperish Night takes one last look at the door, then follows Ekapi. Rishima is in no danger, she just needs to rest until the rain passes. In the mines, they would of never let her rest. Here, as long as all the work got done by one of them, any of them could rest if they needed it. Sometimes, he could almost forget he was a slave, and not free. Almost.  
Viperish Night cuts the vegetables, and Ekapi gathers them up and puts them in the stew. When he and Rishima had been moved here he learned one of the two house slaves that had died of old age had been her mate, J'skar. The other had been another Argonian named Feathered-Bird-Nest. Both had been in Nelimar's service more then they had been free. Viperish Night absentmindedly touches the collar around his neck. That would be his fate someday. The memories here stronger than the ones that came before, and soon the years he was free would be outnumbered by the years he was a slave. His eyes grow sad, the part of him that fought this fate was still within him, but it was dying, had been dying since he bent knee to Valsvis.

As the moons rise, the rain finally stops and Viperish Night lies next to Rishima, her breathing at last returning to normal. She looks at him with her lovely eyes, and he looks back. "This one is alright, Viper," she says, cuddling into him as he wraps his arms around her.   
"I know," he whispers. "I worry too much. And night..." he falls silent, not needing to continue. They both know night brings dreams, memories, that only lift when the sun rises again.   
"You have not dreamed of that one again, have you?" Rishima says sleepily.  
Viperish Night shakes his head. "No. He finally has left me in peace. I never want to dream of him again."  
"Even if..." Rishima trails off.   
"Never." Viperish Night whispers. "I can live without answers. I can not live without you."  
Rishima raises her head, her eyes narrow. "Do not say that, Viper." she scolds. "This one never wishes to be from your side again, but death is not the answer. If something happens to Rishima, you must promise to go on, in whatever way you can."   
Her eyes, so full of love and sad as well, he cannot deny her. "I promise," he says. "But do not leave me, all the same."  
"Rishima is here before you," Rishima says, and at last the two fall asleep.

Ekapi watches Viperish Night as he helps Snails-In-Garden with mending the garden fence. "He gets lost sometimes." Ekapi muses and Rishima looks up from her vegetable picking.   
"Viper does, but he always returns," Rishima says quietly. Ekapi turns her head at Rishima's voice. "His memories consume him at times. Rishima worries, but not as much as she used to. They trouble him from time to time, but do not threaten to drown him."  
"Ekapi remembers you said he had a hard life even before this place," Ekapi says. "And though Ekapi cannot see very well anymore, Ekapi knows you still worry for him. Why? This one can see you two are happy together, and this is as close to ideal as one gets in this place."  
Rishima places the tomatoes in their bin and looks over at Viper, her moons. "Every turn in his life, he loses what he cares for. Home, friends, everything. This one has seen what losing does to him. Darkness and savage anger. This one fears if something was to ever happen to Rishima..." she trails off.  
Ekapi tilts her head in confusion. "He's such a gentle soul, yet the words you use for him now are not. This one cannot see that in him."  
Rishima shivers, even though the sun is so warm. Remembering the loss of their dear friend Denros, and how Viper's eyes filled with such unfathomable darkness, antithesis to the Viper she knows. "There is darkness in him," she whispers. "There always has been. He wages war against it. Though..." she smiles softly. "The war seems to have halted, this one thinks he has found his peace. Rishima has found hers. Though the cost was grave."  
"In each other," Ekapi says. "Oh, Rishima, this one is happy you found your peace," Ekapi says. "Ekapi always feared your fate. You were so angry when you served in Nelimar's house before."  
"This one knows," Rishima says. "But if I had not, I never would have known Viper. He is my moons, until the day Jone and Jode take this one to the sands behind the stars." She slowly frowns again. "This one just hopes he can accept that if Rishima passes before him."  
"Have Faith..." Ekapi starts to say, but she suddenly stops and falls to the ground, Rishima leaping to her side. Snails-In-Garden snaps his head up and comes over as fast as he can manage, with Viperish Night beside him.   
"Ekapi!" Snails-In-Garden says, bending down beside her. She opens her eyes to see three worried faces.  
"The heat got to this one," Ekapi says, sitting up. "Oh, Ekapi misses her youth right now!"   
Snails-In-Garden helps her up. "I will take her to her room. You two finish the work."  
Rishima stares after Ekapi worriedly, and Viperish Night takes her hands. "Come help me with the fence, then I will help you with the vegetables," he says gently. Rishima nods. Working with Viper will keep her worry at bay, for a while at least.

Snails-In-Garden is with Ekapi the rest of the evening, leaving Rishima and Viperish Night to finish the outside chores and dinner. The night passes slowly, neither get much sleep, and when morning rises both find themselves outside Ekapi's door. Viperish Night is staring at the door and Rishima is pacing. Finally, Snails-In-Garden comes out, head lowered.   
"Her time is nearly up." the old Argonian says, and Rishima leans against Viperish Night.   
"Go." Viperish Night says gently. "I'll be here when you are done." Rishima nods and enters Ekapi's room.  
Ekapi is resting on soft mats, and Rishima kneels by her side, gathering Ekapi's paw in hers. The old Khajiit looks up at her, though her sight is nearly gone and what is left seems focused on someplace very far away. "Ekapi does not wish for you to be sad, Rishima. This one has lived a long life far from her home and family. They must all be waiting for Ekapi in the sands behind the stars with J'skar. They must wonder why I've taken so long."   
"Oh, Ekapi." Rishima whispers. "This one does not regret trouble, for trouble brought me to Viper. But Rishima regrets the time she did not have with you."   
Ekapi squeezes her paw gently. "You found your peace. Ekapi can rest happily with this." She closes her eyes for the last time and is still and silent.  
Rishima bows her head. "May Jone and Jode be with you, always Ekapi," she says and stays by her side for a few long moments, tears in her eyes, rolling down her soft fur. This was the fate of all Khajiit slaves here, the only time they would ever return home was when death came for them, and then they returned to Jone and Jode to run endlessly in the sands. She, at last, stands and opens the door, and Viper is waiting for her, and she falls in his arms, feeling his warmth and love.   
Snails-In-Garden bows his head. "I will inform the guards, they will let us take her to burial in the morning."

Viperish Night expects to be taken to the swampy marsh that took Denros, which takes the mine slaves. But instead, Snails-In-Garden leads them to an unused part of the property, where a hole is dug next to another grave, J'skar's. At Viperish Night's confused look, Rishima leans into him. "Nelimar always lets the house slaves bury the dead the way they wish. In the swamp, or here." Viperish Night nods, and Ekapi's body is laid to rest in the grave, her few possessions placed beside her. Moments of silence, and then the grave is covered with dirt by Snails-In-Garden and Viperish Night.

Later when working with Snails-In-Garden in the house why Rishima finishes the vegetable picking, Viperish Night's face fills with confusion. Snails-In-Garden looks back at him. "That face," he says.   
Viperish Night shrugs. "Why...does Nelimar let you burry the dead as you wish?"   
Snails-In-Garden pauses in what he is doing. "Viperish Night. You think all the Dunmer are monsters?"  
Viperish Night looks at Snails-In-Garden. His memories flashback on one Dunmer in particular. "They keep us like animals." Viperish Night says, a hint of anger that is so very rare these days in his voice.  
Snails-In-Garden tilts his head thoughtfully. "But some do not treat us like animals. Some do. The Dunmer are rigid. It is their history and tradition to keep slaves. It is even expected of the houses to keep slaves. It is just the way things are."  
"But..." Viperish Night says. "The Ebonheart pact exists. They outlawed this."  
"Ebonheart pact." Snails-In-Garden waves his hand. "Does not exist for me. Does not exist here. And it takes time to change. Why change when you can sit lazily in the sun?"   
"I...am not sure I understand." Viperish Night says. "That part, yes I understand. But how can some people be so...cruel."  
Snails-In-Garden shrugs. "You ask me? I am but an Argonian going at a snail's pace through the life I was given. And not everyone is cruel."  
Viperish Night pauses at that and smiles. Rishima coming to his mind as she often does when his thoughts grow troubled.   
"See!?" Snails-In-Garden crows. "You are already less troubled. Now let us get to work. There are only three of us now." Viperish Night nods, and the two return to work.

A hurricane rocks the manor a week later. Rishima and Viperish Night sit back to back in their room, listening to the wind howl. It is not as bad as the storm that struck the island over two years ago. Rishima was shivering in fear at first, but with Viperish Night's touch, she has calmed. "It should pass by tomorrow." Viperish Night says, listening to the storm rage, it is a fast-moving storm. Which means less time it is here to frightening his Rishima.   
"This one would hope so. Rishima must go to town to deliver the produce." She purrs softly.  
At last, the storm eye passes overhead, and Viperish Night and Rishima curl up to sleep why the weather is calm.  
The next day the storm has passed, but it left heavy clouds in the sky, which start pouring rain down on the island the next day. Rishima's cough is so bad she cannot rise, and Viperish Night paces in front of their mat until Snails-In-Garden pushes him out. "Leave her to rest," he orders. "You know she'll be fine. She knows she'll be fine. Rest rest rest." he sighs. "Young ones. Never like a snail."  
Viperish Night heads out in the rain to collect the vegetables, and when the time comes to take them to the market, he tilts his head. Who will take them? Snails-In-Garden wanders out and when the guard comes, he talks to him and then walks over to Viperish Night. "You won't cause trouble, will you?"   
Viperish Night shakes his head. "I have caused no trouble, and do not wish to." he hisses.   
"Good." Snails-In-Garden yawns, and motions to the guard. "Go with him with the cart. You are banned from this, but I told the guard you are a good lizard, and it is fine. I know you won't get me in trouble." he pauses. "Though Vipers usually cause trouble. Your the least venomous viper I have ever known." Viperish Night stares at Snails-In-Garden in confusion. Snails-In-Garden has always been strange, but he's very strange today. Snails-In-Garden gives him a nod. "Get going." Viperish Night shrugs, perhaps elder Argonians are just strange. He takes the cart and follows the guard to town.   
Viperish Night has not been into the port town of Oblivion's Isle since he was brought here in a cage. He keeps his head down, following the guard with the cart, but his eyes dart around looking all around him. Dunmer and Orcs, some followed by their house slaves. Viperish Night flicks his tongue out. Words from long ago echo through his head and he pushes them aside. There is no place for those kinds of thoughts in his head anymore.   
Inside the store, he takes the cart in the back and a female Khajiit helps him unload it. Her cub is hiding behind some boxes, sneaking glances at him. "It is an arrr...." the cub says.   
"Argonian my cub." She says.   
The cub makes a face at the long word. "Rishy normally comes." He pouts and runs off.   
"He's very particular," she says. "Kimina hopes Rishima is well?"   
Viperish Night finishes unloading and nods. "The rain makes her unwell," he says. "I do not like rain now."   
Kiminia nods. "Send her Kiminia's well wishes." she purrs. "And you must be Viper. She has spoken of you many times!"  
Viperish Night smiles. "Yes. My river." his head moves to the sound of the guard. "I must return." 

On the way back to Nelimar's manor, the rain at last stops, and when he enters their room, she is sitting up, sipping broth. He sits by her, their hands finding each other and entwining. "Your eyes are troubled," Rishima says softly.  
"It is getting worse." Viperish Night says softly with a tint of fear.   
Rishima leans against him. "This is not true and you know it! Most of the attacks have been very mild. The rain was so heavy this time, the air thick. We do not have rain this heavy often." She purrs against him. "Do not worry my Viper." She gazes up at him. "You went to town, and the world did not end."  
He flicks out his tongue. "Do not care for it," he says. "Though Kiminia wishes you well." he looks at her and shares his thoughts of town. "...House slaves are pets."   
Rishima laughs, droplets of broth glimmering on her whiskers. "You have said many things, Viper, but not that!"  
Viperish Night blinks. "I had not realized it before now. Pets." he flicks out his tongue multiple times, enjoying Rishima's laughter.  
"Being a pet is not so bad," Rishima says. "We even get to lie around in the sun at times like fat lazy house cats." She touches his cheek with her paw. "That look again, Viper."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. "It will fade into nothingness eventually," he says softly.  
Rishima is very quiet at this. "Rishima would rather nothing of you were lost," she says sadly.   
He opens his eyes to regard her with love. "It is worth it to be by your side, Rishima," he says quietly. "Life is never what I expected it to be... but I am..." he tilts his head, regarding his next words in his head with puzzlement, but finding them to be true he speaks them. "Happy."   
Rishima smiles up at him. "We can be happy here, Viper. I have seen it before, and why should we be denied it? We have paid a heavy price for it, and it should be ours." she closes her eyes, leaning deeper into him. "Rishima is happy. Happier then I have ever been."  
"I have always been so alone." Viperish Night says. "I never even knew what love was until I came here." he closes his eyes, enjoying the warmth and purr of Rishima. "Love in the darkest of places. It is enough to chase away all the darkness in my heart. I am happy with you Rishima. Happy living the rest of my days with you like this."  
The two fall asleep in each other's arms, basking in each other's love and warmth. They may not be free, but they have found a life they can be happy in, with each other.


	20. Act 2 - Out of Nowhere, Like Lightning

"Jone and Jode are captivating tonight." Rishima breaths as she stares up at them from Viperish Night's arms.  
The moons were at their fullest, shining brightly down upon them from clear skies sprinkled with stars. Viperish Night basks in their light and Rishima's warmth and purrs. "I could stay here all night," he says softly.  
"And then where would we be tomorrow?" Rishima teases. "Too tired to pick vegetables or bring them to town! You would fall asleep snout first in the carrots."  
"I would not." Viperish Night says. "I would be in the potatoes napping in the sun with you." he grows quiet after that as they bask in the moonlight.  
Rishima covers his claws with her paws. "Viper, come back to me," she says gently.  
Viperish Night blinks and rests his head on Rishima's. "Sorry, my river," he says. "My thoughts escaped me for a few moments."  
Rishima closes her eyes. "You are afraid, Viper. There is no reason to be."  
Viperish Night is quiet for a few minutes. "Perhaps I'm still getting used to peace," he says.  
"After over a year and a half?" Rishima teases then falls silent and serious. "We have many more days in the sun and moonlight, my moons. Do not let fear shake you. We are being good, and we are safe."

The next day brings a downpour that hammers on the roof. Viperish Night walks out of their room, quietly closing the door. Snails-In-Garden is watching the rain through the window, and Viperish Night stands beside him.  
"How is she?" Snails-In-Garden asks.  
Viperish Night bows his head, and smiles. "She sounds better than the last attack. This life is helping, but she will not be well enough to go to market this afternoon."  
Snails-In-Garden flicks his tongue against the window. "No one is going to market now! Get swept away. Inside chores, or lazy sleep." he tilts his head. "Both of course. There is not much to do. I am glad. I am feeling more and more like a snail every day."  
Viperish Night blinks, confused. Snails-In-Garden is very confusing at times lately. But when asked if he's alright, Snails-In-Garden shakes it off to old age. He thinks back to Ekapi, will Snails-In-Garden be returning to the swamp soon? He had grown used to both of the elders, it was strange enough without Ekapi around.  
The rain continues throughout the day, though it breaks long enough for Viperish Night and Snails-In-Garden to gather the vegetables and bring them inside for when the rain stops. As they pack up the boxes, Nelimar walks down from upstairs. Viperish Night has found that Nelimar is a Dunmer who keeps to himself, staying in the upper rooms, for the most part, leaving only for business. Snails-In-Garden explained once that Nelimar had slighted one of the houses, and his house had sent him here to oversee their mine as punishment.  
Snails-In-Garden walks to Nelimar and bows his head. "What may this one do for you?" he asks.  
Nelimar looks over at Viperish Night, and then back to Snails-In-Garden. "This needs to be taken to the bank in town by tonight," he says, handing Snails-In-Garden a small box. "I would normally take this myself, but I am needed at the mine, there has been yet another incident with Valsvis I must attend to." Snails-In-Garden takes it, and Nelimar walks out of the manor.  
Snails-In-Garden puts the box in one of the vegetable boxes. "Looks like I'm coming with you or Rishima today," Snails-In-Garden says. "This is not for your younglings. Nelimar would be cross if I let one of you two take it."  
"...Can I go?" Viperish Night says. "Rishima should rest. And I do not cause trouble."  
Snails-In-Garden nods with a tongue flick. "That should be fine with the guard. Let us finish up the chores and the rain should be dying down by the time we need to go." Snails-In-Garden turns to go then turns around. "Viperish Night, I left the tools everywhere outside. I hope Nelimar did not see, he likes things neat. Could you go pick them up? I do not know why I am so scattered lately."  
Viperish Night nods and walks out the door to the garden. He worries again about the old Argonian.  
Viperish Night gathers up the tools, putting them away before starting back to the manor. The rumble of thunder causes him to look up at the sky, the rain still coming down even though it is much lighter now. A bright flash of lightning streaks across the sky and hits the ground with a tremendous crash. Viperish Night's vision fills with blinding light and then darkness as the lightning blast throws him into the carrots.  
Viperish Night wakes to see several Snails-In-Garden's looking down at him. He sits up, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Finally, he opens them to see that his vision has stopped swimming a little. "What?" he says confused.  
"Now your more confused than I!" Snails-In-Garden says. "Almost struck by lightning, I had to drag you back inside." he tilts his head. "We will have to fix the tomatoes tomorrow, Viperish Night. The lightning bolt blew them to pieces."  
Viperish Night holds his hand against his head and rises. The world spins and he falls with a crash onto the floor. "So very dizzy," he says as Snails-In-Garden kneels by him.  
"Bedtime!" Snails-In-Garden says after checking him over. "You'll be fine, but I will have to go alone. With the cart. At a snail's pace. Can not be helped!" he helps Viperish Night to his room, laying him down on the mat beside Rishima, who wakes up in an instant.  
"Viper! My moons!" Rishima says alarmed, and her paws run over him.  
"Soft..." Viperish Night says. "Ten paws at least." Rishima looks up at Snails-In-Garden. "What happened to my Viper?"  
"Boom!" Snails-In-Garden says. "Lightning strike took out the tomatoes and send Viperish Night spinning. He'll be alright after resting."  
"Rest..." Viperish Night says, closing his eyes. Rishima presses her forehead against his. "Do not scare Rishima like that again, Viper," she says softly as he falls asleep.  
Snails-In-Garden turns to leave. "I must get to town. Nelimar wants his box at the bank today. He had to leave to do...something." Snails-In-Garden frowns. "Forgive me, but I forgot what he said he had to do."  
Rishima stands, coughing slightly. "Rishima feels better," she states. "This one cannot let you go into town alone, Snails-In-Garden."  
Snails-In-Garden looks back at her. "You should rest too. But..." he sighs. "Things are getting confusing lately. I cannot seem to help it."  
Rishima takes his arm, smiling. "This one understands. Rishima would rather stay with Viper, but his breathing is even and he would not want you to go alone either. And it seems to already be evening, it will be nightfall by the time we return." 

Viperish Night's eyes open slowly, it's very dark in his and Rishima's room. He gets up, confused. He's in bed before bedtime, Rishima is not here, and his head hurts. He looks around and suddenly remembers. The lightning bolt that struck near him, Snails-In-Garden helping him to his room, Rishima making sure he was alright and then...sleep. He tilts his head. Right, the box that had to go to the bank. Rishima must have gone with Snails-In-Garden, worried about both of them. But the trip to town does not take too long...why is it dark?  
Viperish Night rises, looking around. Wait, of course. Rishima must be making dinner. And here he was sleeping away and being lazy. She had been a little unwell today. He hurries to the kitchen only to find it empty. "Rishima?" he says, lost as he looks around the manor. There is no trace of Rishima or Snails-In-Garden and Nelimar is still gone as well. He heads outside and looks up. It's a lot later than he thought, and the clouds are still thick, covering the moons. Viperish Night shivers in the night air. What is he to do? He looks to the gate, a guard is standing there. He has had no troubling encounters with Nelimar's guards but to ask one to take him to town to look for Rishima and Snails-In-Garden, without Nelimar's permission?

Viperish Night sits in the ruins of the tomatoes shaking. The guard had instructed him to return to the manor and await Nelimar's return. But it was so late. Rishima...he could not think, could not breathe. She should be back. He stares out at the night and then turns to the guard. The guard is not watching him, he has done nothing but obey these past two years. Slowly he gets up and walks toward the manor, when he's far enough from the guard he dashes to the left and leaps over the fence. His eyes search the darkness and lock in the direction of the town. He would get in trouble for this. He promised Rishima there would be no more trouble. But it was so very late and he could not stand it. He dashes off into the night heading to town.  
He keeps to the shadows, there are a few dry scales in town even this late, but no slaves are by their side. His eyes dart, there has to be a clue somewhere. He sneaks around in the back of the buildings until he finds the store Kimina works in. He knocks on the side entrance, then presses himself up against the building. The door opens, and a Khajiit face stares carefully into the night. "Kimina." Viperish Night says quietly.  
She starts paw to her mouth. "You should not be here! What are up to?" She starts to close the door.  
"Please." Viperish Night hisses. "I do not mean trouble but Rishima and Snails-In-Garden never returned from town. I cannot..." he trembles, and she opens the door again.  
"Kimina saw them hours ago. They headed toward the bank, it's a few streets over. But it is guarded. They will find you. You are here without permission!"  
Viperish Night looks at her. "I know. I cause no trouble. I wish only to be happy with Rishima. But..." fear fills his eyes.  
"Kimina will not mention this," Kimina promises. "But you must leave now. Kimina has a little one. This one cannot get in trouble."  
Viperish Night nods and heads off toward the bank, keeping to the shadows. His spine is filled with near paralyzing fear. Where is his river? Where is Rishima?  
The shadows are long and cloak him as he crouches in an ally by the bank. He stares at the building and the guards around it. There is no way he can walk in and ask. But he has to find Rishima! His heart beats faster, a sense of dream crawling up his spine. One of the guards looks to the alleyway and Viperish Night hisses and backs away to the next ally. A groan startles him upon entering, and Viperish Night sees a Dunmer lying in the shadows, his head covered in blood. He is wearing Nelimar's unform, and Viperish Night hurries over.  
"Lizard..." The Dunmer says, looking up blearily at him.  
"Rishima." Viperish Night growls. He has no time to bow before the Dunmer. The only thing on his mind is finding Rishima. He shakes, finding the guard in this condition...something very bad had happened.  
"Damn Orcs." the guard rasps. "Uncivilized beasts... they set upon us. Took the cat and the older lizard. North."  
Viperish Night stands further words from the guard wash over him. The guard wants Viperish Night to get help for him before going after the slaves. Viperish Night turns his back on him, ignoring his orders. He takes off at a run north, keeping to the shadows.  
Blood splatters on the ground. Viperish Night growls. If they hurt her... he feels familiar darkness well up within, but he pushes it away. He needs to be able to think, to find his Rishima. He follows the blood spatters down another ally and Snails-In-Garden is lying in a small pool of blood. Viperish Night hurries over and bends by the elder's side.  
Snails-In-Garden opens his eyes and grasps Viperish Night's wrist. "So confused," he admits. "I rest in my own slime." he blinks up at Viperish Night. "Kitty. The dragons took her to an abandoned building up the street. Go!"  
Viperish Night takes off at a desperate run, no longer caring if he's in the shadows or not, not caring if anyone sees him. He crashes into the building. It is so very quiet in here. Viperish Night's eyes dart to every corner in the dim light and he finally sees Rishima curled up in a corner, so very still. He races to her, falling by her side. "Please," he whispers pulling her into his arms. She's still warm, pulse flickering. Still alive, but very badly hurt. Slowly her eyes open, the green glow wracked with pain. "My river, My Rishima," he says. "You are alright. You have to be."  
Rishima gazes up at him, her eyes filling with love tinged with sadness. "My moons," she whispers. "My Viper. You have come to shine on this one, one last time."  
Viper hisses, lowing his forehead to hers. "No! Do not say that. You will be alright, Rishima. I will take you home. All you need to do is rest a little while."  
Rishima shudders then manages to weakly raise one paw to Viperish Night's face. "Jone and Jode call to Rishima. This one tries to fight their pull, but it is so very strong and Rishima is so very tired."  
"No!" Viperish Night hisses again. "Stay with me." he grabs her hand with his. "You have to stay," he begs. "Your all I have, all I want, need, love." Tears fall from his face onto Rishima's blood-soaked fur.  
"Viper..." Rishima breaths, her eyes filled with fear...for him. "Remember what you promised this one. Live for Rishima. Promise me again."  
Viperish Night shudders. "I promise, my love," he whispers, and she smiles up at him. The smile that has warmed him, made him see the world in warmth and not ice.  
"This one is blessed beyond words to have found you, my love. Rishima has never truly been happy before you came into this one's life."  
"No one has ever loved me." Viperish Night says. "I did not know what I was missing until I found you, Rishima. Truly loved. It warms me."  
"Do not break over this one," Rishima says. "Live, my love, my moons." her eyes slowly close and her heartbeat fades into nothingness.  
"Rishima!" Viperish Night cries, clutching her. "Rishima!" He howls into the night air, a scream of utter desolation and grief.

Sometime later Snails-In-Garden limps into the building and stops dead in his tracks. His head hangs down. Viperish Night finally rises, laying Rishima's body gently on the floor. He walks up to the old Argonian. "Who did this?" he growls. "Why?"  
Snails-In-Garden blinks several times and finally answers. "Three dragons...no Orcs," he says. "Red markings...on their armor." Snails-In-Garden looks at Viperish Night. "Wanted..." Snails-In-Garden slides to the ground, holding his head in his hands. "My mind slides away, Viperish Night. The rest of me will too in time. They wanted... Rishima to come with them. She refused and they attacked. Took out the guard. We ran but they caught up, one stabbed me. I told her to run." Snails-In-Garden falls silent, head rising to look at Rishima's still body.  
Viperish Night trembles and again the darkness threatens him... but this time he welcomes it. "Where would they go?" he hisses.  
Snails-In-Garden looks up at Viperish Night. "Pickle Nips or their home. I'm not sure what clan they belong to."  
Viperish Night turns his back. "Look after her," he says.  
Snails-In-Garden shakes his head, looking lost. "Your eyes are scary." he softly hisses. "You should not do this. Rishima would not have wanted it."  
Viperish Night stalks to the door, unheeding of the elder's words. "I promised her to live. Not to spare their worthless lives." he snarls and runs off into the night. 

Viperish Night runs through the night, the clouds have vanished and the light of the moons seems to mock him. He glares up at them. "WHY?" He screams up at them. "Give her back!" The world spins, and Viperish Night falls to the ground struggling to breathe. How is he to breathe, to swim, without Rishima? He grips the collar around his neck, then viciously shakes his head. No, even if this thing was not around his neck, he still would not do THAT. It would not be Rishima. Her kind and gentle spirit had been taken by Jone and Jode. Viperish Night slams his fists against the ground. She would not want this. She would not want him to do what the darkest part of him screamed at him too. He growls shaking. So is he to let it go? Bow down to her murderers as he had to with Valsvis, who murdered Denros? "I'm sorry Rishima," he whispers as he staggers up. "I cannot do that again. He looks down at his claws. So very long have they been clean. So very long since he took a life. He shakes, so very lost, so very uncertain, and so very angry. Suddenly the sound of loud voices echos in the night and Viperish Night's head snaps up. Three voices. Not Dunmer. Orcs. He growls, his fangs shining in the night as he moves to the shadows, and follows the sound of voices.  
He catches up to the voices outside the pub Snails-In-Garden mentioned. They are standing outside, talking to each other. Viperish Night watches them from the shadows. Rishima flashes through his mind. She would not want him to do this, he thinks again. She had always seen the best of him, and with her, he stepped into the light from the shadows that had been chasing him for so long. He hesitates, uncertain, but the Orcs next words chase all thoughts of mercy from his spine, filling it only with horror and rage.  
They wanted Rishima to come back to their clan house with them. She instead fought. His Rishima had nearly scratched one of their eyes out and rent her claws on their flesh. She had been brave and did not surrender to the slave masters, but she could not win against them and they left her for dead in the abandoned building after beating her.  
The wind sweeps through the island, and the moons are soon covered up by clouds as if hiding their eyes from what is about to happen. Viperish Night's eyes are glittering crystals of ice, filled with murder and insane rage. They live, and his Rishima does not. They should not live, and so he leaps out of the shadows and strikes.  
Viperish Night's sudden appearance takes the three Orcs by surprise, and his claws flash across the first Orc's throat, sending a spray of blood into the air. The Orc stumbles backward and collapses on the ground, eyes unseeing. The other two Orc's stand there in shock and Viperish Night leaps on the nearest one, his jaws snapping on the shoulder, sinking through to the bone. The third Orc grabs his arm, ripping him away from the second. Viperish Night turns on this Orc, and his claws flash again, sinking into the Orc's face and eye. The Orc stumbles backward cursing him. The second slams his fist into Viperish Night's head, sending him crashing to the ground.  
"Grab the damn lizard, Shaglak!" The Orc snarls.  
Viperish Night rises and surges toward him, but Shaglak grabs him in a bear hold. Viperish Night thrashes in his grip, snarling. "Damn lizard took out Motragdush and took my eye! Gut him Yatob!"  
Yatob takes out a wicked long knife, stained with blood. "By Malacath, damn lizards rabid!" he says, advancing on Viperish Night. "Keep the damn thing still."  
"I'm trying! ...damn it!" Shaglak curses.  
Port security surges on the scene, ordering everyone to stand down. Yatob throws Viperish Night on the ground. Viperish Night hisses, and gets up, surging toward the two Orcs again. Before he can leap upon them though, a sharp prick hits his neck. He spins around, murderous eyes on the port guards as the world starts to spin. "Murders..." he hisses. "They need to....die..." his eyes roll up in his head and he crashes to the ground, darkness taking him.

Viperish Night wakes in a cell and as he stares up at the bars the memories flood back. Rishima... he lays his head against the floor. She cannot be gone. She cannot. To never see her fur shine in the moonlight, to sit in the sun picking vegetables, to hold her as they drift to sleep. Soft, warm, gentle. His river. The only thing in this world he loves. He falls to his side, staring at the bars. Voices intrude, talking about him. He closes his eyes, he does not care.

~-~  
Nelimar paces. "I do not need this, Taroi ." he snaps. "I had to fire my slave-master, which will incite my damn house to keep me here longer. Now you are telling me my property was attacked? Lost?  
The Dunmer in charge of security tries to explain the situation from behind his desk. "They want retribution for your lizard killing one of them," he explains. "The slave went mad and savagely attacked them."  
Nelimar slams his fist on the desk. "They bashed my guard's head in, and he's dead now. They also cost me one of my house slaves, not to mention injuring another. And their actions made the last one go mad! I am the one who should demand retribution for this! The Orcs STARTED it."  
The door opens, and both turns as a large Orc walks in. "Chief Yaturgol," Taroi says.  
"They will be disciplined." Chief Yaturgol says. "The last thing we need is to get in fights with our Dunmer neighbors. But by Malacath, I say we are even. No retribution is needed. Your slave took that already."  
Nelimar glares. "Fine, I have enough to deal with in this forsaken place. But keep your Orcs under control in the future." he turns back to Taroi.  
"Should hold charges against them all. But..." Taroi says looking at Nelimar. "In respect for your house, I will let this matter rest." he snaps his fingers and two of his guards come in, followed by a bandaged Snails-In-Garden.  
Snails-In-Garden bows his head. "Please let this one speak to Viperish Night, to calm him. To prevent any more trouble for you."  
"You have leave to do so," Nelimar says. "But also inform him I cannot have him in my home after this. He'll be returned to the mines.  
Snails-In-Garden nods, and heads to the back followed by the guards.  
~-~

Viperish Night's eyes open, to see Snails-In-Garden standing outside the bars. "Viperish Night, you must rise," Snails-In-Garden says. "The rabbits are here to collect you." he pauses and shakes his head. "Guards."  
All Viperish Night does is stare up at Snails-In-Garden. "Rishima..." he whispers  
Snails-In-Garden bows his head. "She will be buried in the morning, per Khajiit tradition. I will make sure of it." he pauses, his claws opening and closing as confusion colors his eyes again. "She should be here. But she is not. This is not right."  
Viperish Night watches the guards unlock the door. It was not right...it would never be alright again. How was he to live without her? He promised her... but the pain was all-consuming, all he wanted was to lie here until he died.  
"Viperish Night..." Snails-In-Garden says. "Trouble.. they do not want trouble."  
Viperish Night struggles to stand. Death... death would not bring him to his Rishima. She was in the sands behind the stars now, forever beyond his reach. Even death would not reunite them. He promised her... his head down, he limps out eyes desolate.  
"Viperish Night," Snails-In-Garden says gently. Viperish Night turns his head to look at him. "Nelimar will not... allow you to return to the manor. You'll be..." he trails off.  
"Where I was before." Viperish Night says softly. "I do not care where they put me. No place has Rishima."  
The guards lead him to the mine barracks, it is very very late at night now. He limps in and collapses in an unoccupied corner, staring at the wall. Sleep drags at his spine, but she is all he sees when he closes his eyes. Rishima, soft tawny fur, green eyes so full of life and love. Rishima, forever out of his reach in this life or the next. Finally, he cannot keep his eyes open a moment longer, and they close sending him into the oblivion of sleep.


	21. Act 2 - A Taste of Madness

_Rishima in the moonlight, soft fur, emerald eyes, and the softest smile. Viperish Night moves toward her, claws reaching out to her. It was just a terrible nightmare. But Rishima starts to fade, her fur turning to moonlight motes and rising into the sky and beyond Viperish Night's reach. Viperish Night stares up at the moons and falls to his knees.  
"You see the cost of kindness." An unwanted and familiar voice.  
Viperish Night's head lowers and he snarls at Stalks-in-Darkness. "Leave me alone!"  
"Is that what you want?" Stalks-in-Darkness says circling Viperish Night. "To be left alone as the world has cursed you to be?" he pauses behind Viperish Night, resting his claws on his shoulders. "What now? Do you leave the world alone? Does it deserve to be left alone after all it is taken from you?"  
Viperish Night rises and spins away from Stalks-in-Darkness. "Do not touch me." he hisses as he surges toward Stalks-in-Darkness, slicing his claws at him. Stalks-in-Darkness vanishes only to reappear a distance away.  
"Admit it! It felt good to tear into those Orcs. To rend and tear and MURDER. They deserved it, after all. What strength is there in going after the weak as they did?"  
Viperish Night glares at Stalks-in-Darkness. "Rishima was NOT WEAK!" he howls.  
Stalks-in-Darkness tilts his head. He had chosen the wrong words in picking on the cat. He studies Viperish Night for a few moments, before deciding to step back. "Be strong. Break your bonds." Stalks-in-Darkness says and the nightmare shatters apart. ___

__~/~  
The cave is lit only by a pale icy light. Stalks-in-Darkness stands in the darkness an amulet dangling from his claws. He slowly opens his eyes and turns to the figure in the corner in the ragged robes, who's sitting bound with glowing chains before a pool of shimmering water. "He is not yet ready." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses.  
The robed figure raises his head, intense blue eyes staring at Stalks-in-Darkness. "So that is what you do? Torment his dreams with the Dreamworld Amulet?" he snarls.  
"Silence." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses, turning on him. "You did too much, too fast. Foolish. I told you we had time."  
The robed figure lowers his head. "I just thought..." he trails off when he sees Stalks-in-Darkness's expression. His fists curl.  
"I know what you thought. You thought to bend THIS to your advantage. You keep making the same mistakes." Stalks-in-Darkness says, narrowing his eyes. "It may have been a mistake to allow you to mentor Viperish Night." He shakes his head. "You could not even think up a name to give him. You could of at least gotten him to call you master, Mentor. I think I'll call you that from now on. It is amusing and will remind you of your failures."  
"Still... with respect. A few dream incursions?" Mentor says, fists still clenched.  
Stalks-in-Darkness looks down at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Ripples. The smallest ripples can cause the largest effects in the river. All I did was send a slave a dream that the slave-master meant him harm, and he destabilized a few rocks and thus, Trelolos was killed. And all I had to do was send Valsvis a dream that set off his quick temper. Thus his actions angered his house and he was sent to Nelimar's employ to replace Trelolos. That is all I did and look at the ruination it caused. The utter despair and suffering."  
Mentor drops his eyes from Stalks-in-Darkness's. "The Orcs as well?" he asks.  
Stalks-in-Darkness tilts his head. "No...that was... unexpected." he grins, and mentor shivers. "Having that happen without our touch...amuses me."  
"He is still bound," Mentor says. "The collar..." he trails off again.  
"Conditions have not yet been met," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "Be patient. How many times must I say this? You start to anger me, mentor. Let the river flow as it must."  
Mentor's eye twitches. He had hoped Stalks-in-Darkness was not serious about that. But of course, he was. A puzzled expression comes over his face and hee looks up at Stalks-in-Darkness. "River, ripples," he states. "Why..." he trails off yet again and turns his head.  
Stalks-in-Darkness regards mentor. "A river into a stream. There was always bound to be oddities from such," he states, and then turns and walks away. "Watch Viperish Night. You know what to inform me of. I have something to take care of." he fades into the shadows, leaving mentor alone.  
Mentor waves his hand over the scrying pool, glancing up once to stare at the spot Stalks-in-Darkness stood. "He's must be going mad." mentor says. "We are all going to be stark raving lunatics when this is over!"  
~/~_ _

__Viperish Night wakes with a start, snarling. He looks around taking in his surroundings. Icy cold fills his veins as all the memories come pouring back and he falls back onto his mat and curls in a ball, ignoring as the other slaves start to rise around him. Rishima... he closes his eyes trying not to cry, trying not to scream. His claws are still covered in the Orc's blood. The savage fury that had swept through him sending his mind into a frenzy. He had killed before, both with his necromancy and his claws, but never like this. Never with the sole intent of murder on his mind. What had he done? But they deserved it! He clenches his eyes shut tighter, but Rishima is what he sees behind them. Rishima, he promised not to die. Slowly he uncurls himself and follows the rest of the slaves out.  
As Viperish Night washes up, he notices Argonian slaves watching him. Yes, those are the same ones from the boat long ago, though there are only two of them now.  
One tugs on the other's shirt. "Nusei! He's covered in blood! Savage." she shudders and moves closer to the other Argonian, who looks at him and hisses. "Your scaring Nakuaree."  
Viperish Night looks at them briefly, and whatever is in his eyes causes them to scurry over to four other Argonians. Briefly, his eyes catch a glimmer of green scales, but he pays it no mind.  
Breakfast... Viperish Night stares at it, hardly eating. He has to eat. He promised her. Promised her to live. Why did she make him promise this?  
At the mines the slaves are lead further back then he remembers, several new tunnels have been added on the upper level. Viperish Night notices besides the two Argonian's there is no one he recognizes from before. So they must be dead too. The world spins, and Viperish Night falls against the wall and slides to the ground. Dead... why is everyone dead? Why?  
A grey-furred Khajiit nudges him with his food. "Sanaz-dro knows it's boring to slave away, but you really should at least try. Falmus is not a bastard like Valsvis, but he won't let you sleep on the job."  
The words fail to penetrate Viperish Night's head until Valsvis comes up. With a hiss, he rises and looks around again. He had not noticed that one was not here.  
"Oooh, don't like him, do you? Sanaz-dro does not like him either! One of the Khajiit's caused a minor cave-in by accident. Got himself killed plus a guard. Valsvis threw a fit, beat another slave to death. One of the new ones too. This one thinks it was Breton. Got fired, despite being of the same house as that Nelimar."  
Viperish Night turns to the work, staring at the pickax before picking it up. Staring at it. "I would have torn him to pieces." Viperish Night utters, hardly recognizing his voice. "I...should not say that. She would not want me to say that."  
"She?" Sanaz-dro tries to ask, but at Viperish Night's furious hiss, falls silent. "Alright angry lizard! Sanaz-dro understands. No more talking. Just mindless work." _ _

__Viperish Night stares at his dinner. The day seemed endless. He had spent so much of the days and all of the nights with Rishima. Her absence was a constant agonizing burn. Going on seemed impossible, but he was still moving forward...or at least his body was. His heart was drifting in a river lost, trying to find a current that was no longer there. And the voices of others kept intruding! Endless noise in a world gone mad. But it had only gone mad for him. Everyone else was still existing in their rivers. His eyes narrow. And talking about him. He curls his claws. They wonder what he could have done that was so bad to get him thrown into the mines. Why he had been covered in blood when they woke. Fear of him, from the Argonians. He was an Argonian! But...to them, he never had been had he? Viperish Night suddenly cannot take it anymore. He snarls and slashes his claws across the table, his food goes flying, hitting the wall with a mighty crack. He dashes outside, ignoring the startled looks of the other slaves.  
It is later than usual. The mine kept longer hours now. Viperish Night glares up at the sky, the moons are out. "GIVE HER BACK!" he screams up at them. "She should be HERE!" Viperish Night's head turns, guards. He snarls and is startled to find he wants to fight them. To rend claws against their flesh so he can... Viperish Night shakes his head. No, he promised Rishima. And why should he die anyway? This world wanted to make him suffer enough to lay down and die. Why should he give it what it wants? As the guards hurry over, he lowers his head and backs into the barracks. Bowing down to them, as always. For he still saw no other way.  
He lies on his mat staring at the wall. Trying not to close his eyes or even to blink. She is in the darkness, haunting him. An endless void separates them, and always will. He growls at the night before his eyes flicker shut, unable to withstand the call of sleep a moment longer. He is exhausted in every single way and part of him wants to sleep and never wake. _ _

_Viperish Night sways in the moonlight, Rishima by his side. "Endless moons, right?" he asks her. She looks at him, wells of sadness in her eyes. He reaches out to touch her, but she vanishes again. And again he screams. He keeps losing his Rishima, tortured agony. Nothing in his life had ever been this painful. He curls up on the ground. Why did love exist if it could cause this kind of agony? But without it he never would have known his Rishima, knowing the light.  
The moonlight fades, leaving Viperish Night in utter darkness. Viperish Night raises his head, eyes narrowing. "If that is you, Stalks-in-Darkness, leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you!"  
Nothing answers him, but light starts to leak back into the darkness. Water swells up around Viperish Night, and the familiar earthy smell of the marsh greets him. Argonian's suddenly appear, moving all around him, but not a single one comes near. They talk, not to him but around him. Abomination. Even the Hist rejected him. What kind of Argonian is he? Savage beast. A Khajiit? What on earth is he thinking. No Argonian would have him, that's what. Worthless. Not Argonian enough. What is wrong with him. His magic is wrong! Which kind? BOTH!  
Viperish Night surges to his feet howling at the Argonian's. They scatter and darkness covers the marsh._

Viperish Night wakes thrashing. His heart beats wildly and he holds his head in his hands until it calms. It's the dead of night and most everyone else is sleeping. A pair of eyes are watching him, however. He looks at them, one of the Argonian's. "What is wrong with you?" they ask. He hisses and the eyes close and hide, and Viperish Night lies back down, staring at the wall. What is wrong with him? What is wrong with this world? He does not sleep the remainder of the night, he cannot bear to see Rishima, only to lose her all over again. 

____I wake every day. Viperish Night thinks. And every day there is no Rishima. The only time I really see her is in my dreams. Always in the moonlight, always vanishing before I can reach her, touch her, talk to her. And then the dreams turn into nightmares. Argonians's mocking him, Hist attacking him with razor-sharp vines that feel like Valsvis's lashes. Orcs that die under my claws, only to rise again and again. It never ends, night after night of torment, day after day of endless toil with no end in sight. He closes his eyes to the thoughts in his head, a jumbled mess in the raging rapids of black waters his river has turned into. Viperish Night misses her so fiercely it is like a fever within him, burning him up and consuming him. He will not die, will not let this world destroy him, but how is he to live with such unending agony?  
The days blur together, and the nights are filled with staying awake as long as he can, trying not to close his eyes. To see Rishima only to have her vanish every time, and then the nightmares that follow. He fails every night to stay awake, and sleep torments him to the point of madness._ ___

____

____

_Again under the moons, his river, his Rishima. And again she is out of his reach. The moonlight fades and a building takes its place. The building. No! Viperish Night hisses, tries to run. But he finds himself frozen, looking at Rishima's broken body, fur matted with blood and kind green eyes closed forever. Viperish Night howls, much as he did that actual night, and the nightmare fragments around him.  
He finds himself in the deepest part of the mine, Denros lies broken on the ground. Viperish Night backs up, no longer frozen. He runs but the memories flash through his mind. He can never escape them, never forget what happened, and so he falls to his knees trembling. A voice echos throughout the nightmare and Viperish Night cannot tell if it is Stalks-in-Darkness or his own voice mocking him.  
"If only you had lept into the fight between Denros and the guard sooner. Or wrapped your claws around Valsvis's neck and tossed him into the lava. Your friend would still be alive.  
Viperish Night leaps up. "No..I..." he hisses, then turns tail and runs. But there is no escape from the voice echoing his greatest fears.  
"You could have saved Rishima, if only you did not bow to the guards and wait undecided. A few minutes earlier....and you would have rescued her. Killed the Orcs together.  
Viperish Night trips over the ground and falls. "No! I tried! I would have done anything to save them! ANYTHING." He slams his fists on the ground shaking.  
"Anything? Yet you failed. Still, you bend knee to the slavers. You made yourself cowed and almost killed part of who you are! Because of this, you lost EVERYTHING."  
Viperish Night gets up and backs away.  
"Or... perhaps it is not your fault. Perhaps it is the fault of this world. Why would it be so cruel to you? You were kind. And see how you have been rewarded."  
Viperish Night keeps backing up until he hits a wall. he closes his eyes and howls. "NO MORE!" The nightmare shatters. _

Viperish Night startles awake and howls a scream of utter desolation, loss, and rage. The rest of the slaves bolt up in a panic. "Just the crazy Argonian again." one of the Argonian says.  
For a moment, just a moment, Viperish Night sees red. He flexes his claws, then violently hits the wall instead of pouncing on one of the Argonians. Breathing hard, he leaps up and dashes out into the sunrise.  
The whispers follow him all day. Cursing at the moon like a lunatic. How many nights must he wake us? Someone should put him out of his misery.  
Last night's nightmare swims in Viperish Night's head. Why had he not done more? He should have. Could he have? Rishima... the world spins and he stops working, staring at the mine wall struggling to keep standing. Even Sanaz-dro nudging him with his foot cannot break through him in this state.  
A guard walks over to instruct him to keep working and Viperish Night snaps, claws flying, and coming down on the guard's left arm. Sanaz-dro gasps and backs away. Viperish Night falls to the ground on his knees, blood dripping from his claws as more guards and Falmus come running up. "Did not mean it..." he whispers, head bowed.  
Falmus gestures to the guards who pull Viperish Night up. "Put him in the box for a few days as punishment. But remember one meal a day and water throughout," he instructs. "Nelimar would prefer NOT to lose any more of his property." 

The box. Viperish Night lies on his side after the guards throw him in, locking him inside. A water jug sits nearby. He remembered the box, though the memories were hazed with fever. This is where he almost died. Where Rishima took care of him, where they admitted their feelings for each other. He starts to tremble as the memories pour through his mind. Memories of his sweet Rishima, like claws to his heart. Viperish Night rises as much as he can in the small box and starts to throw himself against the box's walls howling in uncontrolled fury and pain. Finally, beyond the point of exhausting, he collapses and the hateful darkness claims him once more. 

_They swirl around him. Argonians, Khajiit, Dunmer, and more. The howl of their voices drowning out everything else. All their eyes seem to stare at him with negativity. Viperish Night falls to his knees and closes his eyes. "GO AWAY," he screams, and finally they fall silent. Viperish Night opens one eye, he is in a Breton graveyard in the dead of night and it is so very quiet. He stands and looks around. The graveyard stretches as far as he can see, not a single living thing in sight. Is this quiet bliss or lonely sadness. He suddenly does not know, so he sits down wrapping his arms around his knees. A skeleton fox creeps from behind a tree and winds around Viperish Night. So much like the fox, he rose so long ago. His claws stroke its back, though its only bones and not cold dead fur. The fox turns to look at him, its eyes glowing with necromantic light. "Is this what you desire?"  
Viperish Night leaps up and backs away from the fox, hissing. "NO!" he says. "What I want is Rishima."  
The night is pierced by moonlight, and Viperish Night turns to see his Rishima, glowing in the moonlight. He reaches for her, heartbreaking all over again as she fades into the moonlight. He could have her if not for the collar, but it would not be HER. it would be an abomination. Rishima's soul was in the sands behind the stars and there was no calling her back. Even if he could... Viperish Night lowers his hand. Even if he could, it would always go horribly wrong. It would be torture and agony and pain unending for both of them. The realization finally sets in, Rishima is gone and there is nothing that will bring her back as she was. Viperish Night lowers his head. "I do not know what I want," he admits. "I can not have what is impossible. I do not want to die and let this world win." he shakes as the moonlight fades.  
The fox curls around him again, and then stalks off into the grass, pouncing on a skeleton mouse and bringing it back to set by Viperish Night's claws. Viperish Night looks down on it, then backs away from the fox again. "I do not want that either!" he turns and runs into the night, only to run right into Stalks-in-Darkness. He leaps back, hissing. "YOUR THE ONE WHO'S DOING THIS!" he screams. "You are tormenting my dreams, GO AWAY."  
Stalks-in-Darkness tilts his head as the darkness breaks once more, torches glowing with necromantic light illuminating the area. "I have not visited you for some time, not since you screamed at me to leave. Have I once appeared in your dreams? Or are they nightmares?"  
Viperish Night starts to snarl, then blinks. Always in shadow has Stalks-in-Darkness been. But now he can see the Argonian a little better. He steps forward looking at him. His scales are darker then any Argonian he has ever met, and his eyes are an icy blue-grey that gleam in the necromantic light. It has if the shadows themselves gave birth to an Argonian nightmare. Chills crawl down his spine, and Viperish Night backs away. "You're a nightmare." he hisses.  
Stalks-in-Darkness smiles. "The Deathfang Tribe strikes from the shadows, hunts from the shadows. All Argonian's born under its Hist's branches are blessed to look like shadows in the night." His eyes focus on Viperish Night. "What do you want?"  
Viperish Night looks away, shivering, and repeats what he said to the fox. "I do not know."  
Stalks-in-Darkness starts to circle Viperish Night and one by one the torches wink out leaving Viperish Night in darkness again. "You know what you want, deep down inside. You just cannot admit it. Your still so weak."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes, shaking and the nightmare breaks apart._

~/~  
"You are going to drive him mad, you do know this," Mentor says from his corner.  
Stalks-in-Darkness opens his eyes. "Madness will bring him where he needs to be. He will never break his chains where he is now. He needs to get a taste of how it feels to be strong, to know how blood and strength can wash away the pain."  
Mentor bows his head. "Of course..."  
Stalks-in-Darkness walks to him, and places a clawed hand on his shoulder, causing him to shudder. "Be patient." Stalks-in-Darkness looks at the scrying pool. "Show me," he orders.  
Mentor looks up in puzzlement. "You just left him," he says. Stalks-in-Darkness's claws tighten on mentor's shoulder. "...Right." mentor says. "You do know the risks involved in checking up on... the other matter?" At Stalks-in-Darkness's glare, he backpedals. "Of course you do. I am a fool to question you." He waves his hand over the scrying pool and it shimmers showing jagged rocks and darkness tinted with deep purple. A flood of skeevers run past. Stalks-in-Darkness stares into the shadows and then turns his back satisfied in what he sees in the shadows, and mentor dispels it.  
"Hmm..." Stalks-in-Darkness murmurs. "Keep tabs on Viperish Night and this as well from time to time."  
"Of course I will. What else do I have to do?" Stalks-in-Darkness turns his head back and mentor bends his head down again. "..." Stalks-in-Darkness walks out of the cave and mentor raises his head, clearly disturbed by what thoughts go through his head.  
~/~ 

Viperish Night wakes, body bruised and bleeding from his assault on the box, and his memories. He stares at the box walls, now streaked with his blood. He wakes to a living nightmare. He sleeps in nightmares. It will drive him mad. And how can he want anything anymore? Viperish Night sighs softly as a small opening appears and his meal appears. He stares at it for long moments before reaching out a claw and pulling it to him, methodically eating. He is horrible...he knows this. How can he even think he does not want Rishima? But it is impossible to have her, even if he had his powers it would still be impossible to have her as she was. How was he to live with himself for this realization? And without her? Viperish Night tries to remain calm. Tries to keep his thoughts from plunging into uncontrollable rapids. But as the day wears on the memories assault him still, and again he snaps, throwing himself against the box until he passes out. 

The next two days pass in a blur. Viperish Night wages war against the box and his memories until he crashes into oblivion, and then his nightmares chase him into madness. When they come to remove him from the box, he is in a near unconscious heap in the middle. The guards drag him to the barracks and drop him on the mat and leave. The rest of the slaves are trickling in as day turns to night and Viperish Night opens his eyes to stare at the walls. They talk about him, again. Never to him, just at him, about him.  
"Did the guards do that?" "I heard he ATE a guard's arm!" "No no this one saw, just clawed it a little!" "Went past the box, he was attacking it." "Savage..."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes and shudders. The nightmares drag him under once more. 

_Viperish Night stands in the street, blood flowing across his feet. The Orc's who murdered his Rishima lie dead at his feet. Not just one, but all three. He turns, and Valsvis's body is behind him torn apart. The town is silent as if everyone in it is dead. Viperish Night backs away from the bodies, but the blood follows him as he turns and runs, and trips over an Argonian body. The blood flows over him and he screams, drowning in a river of blood._

Viperish Night stares at the ground as he limps to the mine, trying not to think of his nightmares. Trying not to think of Rishima. He fails, as he always fails. Nothing can get the pain to leave him, not even for a moment. Entering the mine Viperish Night heads off into his tunnel, where he mines with Sanaz-dro. But a guard steps in front of him. "You are to work with the other Argonian's today, lizard." Viperish Night freezes, then turns, head bowed to their tunnel.  
"Nakuaree! That crazy Argonian is here." Nusei hisses as she hides behind her. "Why do we have to work with him?"  
"Nusei, silence." A male Argonian says to her. "We do not need guards back here."  
"Sorry, Bites-His-Tail," Nusei says.  
The work progresses slowly and Viperish Night stays on the other side of the tunnel. This tunnel is wider than his and Sanaz-dro's tunnel. He tries to focus on the work but as the day progresses Viperish Night's head fills with what the Argonian's are saying about him. Or are they saying anything? He could have sworn they had been quiet for some time. Viperish Night shudders. His head hurts, he does not want to be here. Finally, he drops his pick and places his claws and forehead on the rock shaking violently. Memories swirl faster and faster in his head. He cannot breathe.  
One of the male Argonian's approaches him. "Work, you stupid Argonian. You will get us all in trouble."  
Viperish Night hisses. "Stupid? You call ME stupid? Leave me alone!"  
"Back off, Fish-Breath-Gator. He cannot help it. He was kicked out of the marsh."  
Viperish Night freezes, his head turns. "How do you know that," he says, eyes narrowed.  
Fish-Breath-Gator backs off, till he hits the wall. "Terizzikiasi, I think you made him angry."  
Terizzikiasi steps forward, Viperish Night stares at him. His green scales, head fins. He knows this Argonian, from his adopted tribe, from the marsh. "He never fit in. And the Hist rejected him. It's no wonder why he's crazy. Took me a while to place him..."  
Viperish Night flashes back to that faithful day, the day that would eventually lead him here. The Hist summoning him. Being told he was not a true Saxhleel, that he was a blight for his mere existence. He starts to growl, low in his throat as his spines come up in threat. He turns to face Terizzikiasi and the rest of the Argonians. The world spins around him and his vision goes red. 

Falmus's voice cuts through the red fog. "Stop him! Stop him now!" Strong Dunmer arms pull him away from the Argonian's. Viperish Night struggles, nearly throwing the two Dunmer guards that hold him to the ground. Falmus slaps him hard. "Stop!" he orders and Viperish Night slowly stops struggling and hangs limp in the guard's arms, eyes closed breathing hard. Falmus turns around. "Damn it. Damn it all to Oblivion!" Another guard comes running in and Falmus snaps at him. "Get Nelimar. GET Nelimar NOW." The guard turns and runs out.  
Viperish Night shakes, utterly confused at what's going on. His eyes flicker open, and he stares at the Argonians. Or... what is left of them. The mine walls are sprayed with blood, it streaks the walls and pools on the floor. The Argonian slaves are torn apart, their sightless eyes silently accusing Viperish Night. The carnage is unspeakable. He did not do this, he could not do this! Viperish Night lowers his head and shakes harder. His body is covered in blood, it drips and splatters off of him.  
Nelimar comes running in. "What is going o..." he starts to say and then stops, the color draining from his face. "What happened here Falmus?" he says, hand going to his mouth.  
Falmus turns to face Nelimar. "The lizard went berserk, Nelimar. By the time the guards got here, he had slaughtered all six of the other Argonian slaves." he pauses, looks back at the carnage. "He has to be put down, Nelimar."  
Nelimar turns, unable to take the carnage any longer. "There are few slave shipments, the mine is drying up, and six slaves are dead. I...my house..." he gulps, clearing trying not to throw up, putting a hand on his head. "Wait a moment. Bring the lizard to the front yard, place him in manacles, and a muzzle."  
"Nelimar?" Falmus says with a question in his voice.  
"I may be able to recoup some of my losses here." He motions to the guard who fetched him and Nelimar speaks in quiet tones to him. The guard runs out of the mine quickly after. Nelimar walks out of the mine, hand on his mouth still.  
The guards drag Viperish Night into the yard, heavy iron manacles are placed on his legs and arms, a muzzle across his snout. He does not resist, his mind filled with horror on what he did. He hardly even remembered it. Just blinding red and screams. He had to be an abomination. How else could he have done something like THIS?" Viperish Night closes his eyes and shakes, ice filling his veins. He's so very cold.  
Nelimar paces nearby, agitated. "Where is he?" he says, glaring at the road, then back at the mine where his expression turns sickening.  
The sun has nearly set when the guard returns with a very large Nord behind him. "Nelimar, I have brought Thjonwulf as instructed."  
Thjonwulf rounds on Nelimar, looking down at him. "Little milk drinker, I remember you from the docks. I remember you don't think much of me. And still, here I am. This guard says it is worth my time. Why?"  
Neilmar looks up at him. "I want to sell you one of my slaves."  
Thjonwulf stares at Neilmar. "Your joking. Your slaves are all as much milk drinkers as you are. That's why I don't buy them when the captains bring them in!"  
Neilmar steps to the side, revealing Viperish Night, his scales covered in dried blood. Thjonwulf moves closer, his nose flaring. "Argonian blood." The Nord turns to the mine and heads inside. The guards move to stop him, but a gesture by Neilmar allows him passage. When Thjonwulf comes back out he ignores Neilmar and walks right up to Viperish Night, and crouches down. "I remember you. Little Argonian milk drinker in the cage, lying down in his misery. Now, though?" He grabs Viperish Night by the neck, looking at him in the eyes. Viperish Night tries to turn away, but the Nord's grip is too strong.  
"He snapped," Neilmar says stiffly. "My slave-master suggests he be put down, but I already have lost six slaves today, and..."  
"And you don't have money to buy more. Not at the exorbitant prices they charge us now." Thjonwulf says as he releases Viperish Night and gets up and laughs, ignoring Neilmar's furious glare. "So you come begging. I love it. A Dunmer begging!" He snaps his fingers at Neilmar's guards. "Milk Drinkers! Throw him in my cart." He turns back to Neilmar and mentions the sum he will pay for the lizard. Neilmar's eyes widen. "What, little Dunmer milk drinker? You thought I would not offer a fair price? Savage lizard! I have not had an Argonian in my arena for a long time. Once properly trained he'll draw in the crowds."  
"You think you can control him?" Nelimar asks in shock. To him, Viperish Night has gone stark raving mad and is little better than a rabid animal that should be put down.  
"Control? You know nothing about MY line of work." Thjonwulf says with a sneer. "This Argonian's eyes, the depths of fury still in them. It can be harnessed, focused. He'll be a perfectly savage gladiator when I'm done with him."  
Viperish Night's head is down. Their words wash over him. He's still in shock and nothing they say can penetrate. The lance at his neck causes no reaction, and his eyes flicker shut-in forced sleep. The last thing he feels is Thjonwulf picking him up and carrying him away. 


	22. Act 2 - Rumbles of Change

The trip to the desolate side of the island takes awhile. Viperish Night wakes halfway through, lying on the horse-drawn cart as it bumps over the uneven road. He stares out as the terrain turns from lush jungle to threadbare wiry grasses covered in a thin layer of ash. The cart winds around the volcano, lava winds down its sides, and smoke rises from the caldera. Viperish Night stares at it, remembering what its name was. The Thundering Summit. Viperish Night keeps his eyes on it as long as he can. As long as he thinks of something, anything else, he can keep his mind off what had happened. He thought he knew the darkness inside him...but what he did today showed him he had only seen the shallows of the icy dark river within him. Its depths shattered him, and send him yet again tumbling into unknown rapids. 

The cart heads down into a bowl-like canyon some distance away from The Thundering Summit. It is filled with buildings made of rock, large spaces where various dry scales are training, and a huge arena cut from the rock itself. The cart finally stops beside one of the buildings and Thjonwulf leaps down, walking around to the back of the cart. "Unchain him." Thjonwulf orders. Thjonwulf's brow furrows. "Damn it, I never asked that Milk drinker Dunmer the Argonian's name." He hits the back of the wagon as the guards unchain Viperish Night and lead him down.  
Viperish Night looks around, then back at Thjonwulf. He's so very lost and confused right now. Once more, his world has been utterly upturned. And yet this slave master...asks him his name? "...Viperish Night." he hisses.  
Thjonwulf laughs. "A viper, eh? You are living up to your name now!"  
Viperish Night turns around and snaps at Thjonwulf. "DO NOT CALL ME VIPER."  
Thjonwulf frowns. "Savage Argonian, you are going to need some training for that temper of yours. Viperish Night then."  
Viperish Night backs away slightly. Savage... to be called that... it reminded him of what he thought of Stalks-in-Darkness. Brutal. He was nothing like that Argonian! But...  
"Him? Why is he here?" A Dunmer voice accuses and Thjonwulf turns as an Orc and a very familiar Dunmer walks out.  
"You know Viperish Night then?" Thjonwulf asks. "As for why, he went mad in the mines. Savagely tore apart a bunch of Argonians!."  
Viperish Night freezes and he stares at the Dunmer a low growl building in his throat. Valsvis... Viperish Night's blood fills with icy fury and in an instant, he launches at Valsvis, his bloodstained claws aimed at the Dunmer's throat. Valsvis startles back causing Viperish Night's claws to miss their target, but they still rip down the side of his neck and the two crash to the ground.  
"ENOUGH!" Thjonwulf roars, and he grabs Viperish Night's arm, throwing him to the side.  
Valsvis leaps up, his hand to the side of his ravaged neck. "Kill the rabid beast!" he snarls.  
Thjonwulf's eyes narrow and he smacks Valsvis across the side of the face, sending him crashing to the ground. "I am in charge here, NOT you milk drinker!"  
Viperish Night snarls, stalking towards Valsvis yet again as the Dunmer rises and Thjonwulf turns on him. "Stand down NOW." He orders again. "You are my slave, you will obey my orders."  
But all Viperish Night can see is Valsvis, everything else is blinded by his rage and he ignores Thjonwulf, continuing to stalk Valsvis, who keeps backing away from him. The guards move in, but Thjonwulf motions them back. "I'll deal with this," he says and steps into Viperish Night's path. Viperish Night hisses, eyes locking onto Thjonwulf. He is in the WAY. Thjonwulf's eyes narrow. "The hard way then," he says and his eyes change from cold brown to fiery yellow. Thjonwulf's massive body quakes and in a burst changes, fur flowing down, claws and fangs growing until a truly massive grey and brown-furred werewolf is standing in front of Viperish Night. Thjonwulf slams his arm into Viperish Night, sending him flying into the air. Viperish Night crashes hard into the ground and Thjonwulf bounds to Viperish Night and growls. "Submit!"  
Viperish Night stares up at the massive monster, fury, and blind rage coursing in his eyes. He starts to get up, intending to try to go through this monster to get to Valsvis. "Submission...only brought me more pain!" Viperish Night snarls. "Let me kill him!"  
Thjonwulf growls again. "Submit!" he orders again, and then bends in closer to Viperish Night, so only he can hear his next words. "Fail to submit and I'll string you up and let Valsvis play with you. You cannot beat me, Savage Argonian."  
Viperish Night stiffens, memories coursing back. The lashes he took from Valsvis, the endless agony...pain that seemed without end. He shakes looking from Thjonwulf to Valsvis.  
"But," Thjonwulf continues. If you submit I may let you play with Valsvis someday when he crosses me one time too many."  
Viperish Night looks at Valsvis once more, then his eyes move to Thjonwulf. His rage starts to drain, and he finally realizes he's trying to take on a monster, one he has no hope of defeating. And the thought of Valsvis hurting him again... Was Thjonwulf serious? Would he let Viperish Night at Valsvis someday? Viperish Night sighs and lows his eyes, kneeling on the ground with head bowed. "...I submit." he hisses.  
"Good," Thjonwulf says as he shudders, transforming back. He motions to the Orc guard. "Bring the binding cuffs," he orders. "These will remain unless you are in training or combat," Thjonwulf tells Viperish Night as the Orc comes over. "Hold out your hands."  
Viperish Night growls softly but does as instructed, the snap of them against his wrists echoing in his head.  
"Take him to Mosien." Thjonwulf orders. "Tell Mosien I want a report on his physical state as soon as possible." The Orc takes Viperish Night's arm and leads him to one of the buildings. 

Viperish Night sits on a stool, looking at the bands around his wrists. Yet more bonds, more submission. He shakes with rage and seems ready to leap off the stool and tear apart the room.  
"Mosien says calm."  
Viperish Night's head snaps up, his eyes focused on the Khajiit that has come into the room. Mosien's fur is black with grey streaks throughout, one ear is nothing but a shredded nub and his eyes are a fierce golden color.  
"Mosien was quick-tempered when this one was young," he says, looking Viperish Night up and down. "You are covered in blood, yet you have not fought even one match." He sniffs, then laughs. "You took a chunk out Valsvis, this one is amused. This one is not sure why Thjonwulf hired him. Thjonwulf is brutal but sensible. That Dunmer lacks all common sense."  
Viperish Night's eyes track Mosien as he speaks, but he does not answer back. Mosien finally steps back. "I cannot attest your condition when you are covered in Dunmer and Argonian blood. You will bathe now. Argonian's like water. Go through the hallway to the last door on the end and bath. Return here when you are done...done and calm! This one means you no harm." Viperish Night gets off the stool and backs to the door, keeping his eyes on Mosien. Khajiit. Some of the tension leaves him and he turns around and heads out of the room down the hallway.  
The bathing room leaves Viperish Night blinking for long moments. In the mines, they had small tubs for basic cleaning. In Nelimar's manor slightly larger. But this... The room was steamy, filled with softly bubbling pools of water more than large enough to fully submerge in. How long has it been? After shedding clothes sticky with blood, Viperish Night walks to the nearest one and falls into it, the steaming water washing over him. He closes his eyes and sinks to the bottom, trying to calm his racing heart. He stays submerged as long as he dares. If only he could stay in here forever, but someone would come to fetch him. And then he might snap again. He rises out of the bath, water streaming from his scales. He stares at a basket that was not there before. Someone had come and taken his blood-soaked clothes away and left this. He moves to the basket, all that is in there is a pair of half pants. He sighs and gets dressed, then walks back down the hallway.

Again on the stool with the Khajiit Mosien circling him. Mosien dips his finger in a pot and smears it on the various scratch marks on Viperish Night's body. The Argonian's had managed to injure him slightly. He had not even felt it. Viperish Night tries to stay still, but when Mosien moves to his back and runs his paws down the scars, he flinches. "Be calm," Mosien instructs. "Mosien means no harm, and is aware this can bring up memories of pain."  
Viperish Night lowers his head and closes his eyes. "It is the gentle memories that torture me," he says softly. Rishima's touch, so light and gentle. A touch he will never feel again, and that in time he'll even forget what it felt like.  
Mosien pauses and moves in front of Viperish Night. "Does your back trouble you?" he asks, seeming to know probing into what Viperish Night said will only cause more pain.  
Viperish Night shakes his head. Mosien sighs softly. "This one needs to check a few more things and make sure nothing was broken, it requires more touch. Mosien will tell you a story why this one checks on this, keep your mind off of it." Viperish Night does not respond, and Mosien adds. "It is about our Werewolf slave-master. Who was a slave." At this Viperish Night's head rises a little. "There we go. Mosien knew that would pique your interest. This one saw you get thrown by him."  
Mosien starts a more in-depth check and starts his story. "Nords do not make good slaves. The slave-masters are smart enough not to mess with them. But one of their ships ran into a storm and had to dock on a coast in Skyrim to repair their ships. To their surprise, there was a huge Nord half-dead on the beach. The pickings had been slim, they knew the Orc Zuluk had been looking fierce slaves for his new arena, so they took the Nord with him. Thjonwulf proved brutal and fierce, people came from all over just to see him fight. But Thjonwulf had a secret. After a particularly brutal match, Thjonwulf stood with the roar of the crowds cheering at his victory. Thjonwulf looked then right at Zuluk and transformed into a werewolf, leaping up to his balcony seat and ripping the Orc's head clean off! The guards came for him, and Thjonwulf shifted back and raised his hands. He said I won. This is my arena now. The guards were not eager to fight a werewolf, so they backed off to talk with the higher-ups on the island on what to do. And they decided to do nothing, for Thjonwulf showed no desire to return home or stage a rebellion. He wanted the arena, and he kept the status quo. In fact, he made the arena better! More money."  
Viperish Night flicks out his tongue. "I never saw a werewolf before," he says. "They... are...I tried to fight him..."  
"Yes, do not challenge him again!" Mosien lectures as he puts his paws down. "Mosien found nothing broken, though you'll be bruised for a few days." As he sees Viperish Night's head go down again, he clicks his tongue at him. "Your life here will not be bad if you submit to him. Train when you are told to train, fight when you are told to fight, and WIN. You will be rewarded."  
"And if I care nothing for rewards?" Viperish Night says, raising his head to look at Mosien.  
"You care for life right? You don't train, you lose, you die." Mosien says. "Mosien trained to be a healer before he was taken by slavers. So instead of that this one was brought here and told to take life rather than give it. But this one persevered, and now in this one's old age, this one heals again."  
Viperish Night looks down again. "I promised to live, and I will live." he hisses. "This world is not allowed to kill me. But I do not know what I want."  
"It is enough to want life for now," Mosien says. "Now I must make my report to Thjonwulf, and you must go to the dining hall to eat and meet the others. It is just across this room."  
Viperish Night stands up and walks out the door. They expected him to kill, destroy. And to refuse would mean his death. How could the world keep sending him crashing back into the river of death? Was he that much of an abomination, to only get a taste of life, only to have it taken away again and again? He sighs and walks into the dining hall.

The food is set out on a long table, and Viperish Night stares at the fish before scooping up a few. The other table is for sitting...Viperish Night glances at it. It is full of gladiator slaves. All of them look so very scary. He's ready to take his food in a corner and sit alone when he sees a sooty pelted Khajiit. He tilts his head in curiosity, flashing back on the boat that brought him here. There had been a sooty pelted Khajiit male there too. He stalks to the table and sits across from him. The Khajiit turns his silvery hued eyes on him for a few long moments. "Zan'tabe knows you," he says. "The accursed Dunmer slavers took us on different paths. Yet," he tilts his head. "here you sit across from this one." Zan'tabe nudges the Khajiit sitting next to him, a huge beast of a Khajiit with orange fur with black stripes and green eyes. "Kigum-dar saw you brought in covered in blood. Saw you go after that Renrij Dunmer, and then smacked down by the werewolf!"  
Kigum-dar rumbles laughter. "You tried to go through Thjonwulf. Amusing little Argonian. Insane, but amusing."  
Viperish Night looks down at his fish the world swimming a little. Every time he tries to shove the memories of what he did, they come swimming back up.  
"You have a tongue, Argonian?" Kigum-dar asks. "The Orc does not, so this one is wondering."  
Viperish Night's head snaps up and his eyes narrow slightly and he finally takes in the full table. Kigum-dar and Zan'tabe. Two other Khajiits, both male, one small and wiry with short golden fur and blue eyes and the other thick and strong looking with deep brown fur streaked with red and angry red eyes. A female Bosmer with short blond hair and ash grey eyes, a brute of an Imperial with a graying military-style haircut, a pair of Redguards with dark skin and black hair, the female with braided hair, the male with short hair and a tied up beard, and finally a stocky Orc with pale green skin and a bald head. All was very fierce-looking and... something else in common. Viperish Night looks closer before turning back to Zan'tabe. "I am Viperish Night," he says. "Do not call me Viper."  
"So he can talk." Kigum-dar says, and resumes eating."  
Zan'tabe motions to the rest of the gladiators around the table. "The desert cat is Qa'Dar, used to be a thief, the angry-looking one is Za'gh... you do NOT want to know his backstory. The Bosmer who is looking at you as if your a snack is Fernthorn. Don't ask her true name, or she will eat you. The Ex-Imperial is Titumus, sent here after he betrayed the false empress during the war, and finally Tongue Biter. Not sure what he did but his clan ripped out his tongue and dumped him here." Zan'tabe takes a bite of his chicken, then waves the leg in the air. "If you are noticing that every one of us has a blood-red scar, well...you'll learn about that if you survive your first match."  
Tongue Biter just ignores everyone and Titumus glances once at Viperish Night before quietly resuming dinner. Qa'Dar gives him a quick sniff and Za'gh just stares at him for a long moment.  
Fernthorn rests her chin in her hand regarding Viperish Night. "How many Dunmer did you murder to bring you here?" she asks. "Did you get any of them with your fangs?"  
Viperish Night lowers his head staring at his fish. They are dead. As is the Argonian's. He hisses and stands up, no longer interested in dinner or anything else. He turns to leave much to everyone's surprise, but he pauses to look back. "Argonian slaves." he hisses angrily. "Six of them...they will never be alive again." he runs out of the room.  
Fernthorn stares after him. "I do not think he likes Argonian's much." she throws her head back and laughs.  
"That one is mad," Za'gh growls low in his throat. "He will either pull out of the madness or be slaughtered his first match."  
Zan'tabe rises, and heads out the door, to find Viperish Night in the hallway looking lost. "Follow Zan'tabe, he will show you to your room." he heads off down the corridor, stopping at a room on the right side near the baths. He opens it the door and looks back at Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night stands there for a few moments, before moving into the room. It is small with a barred window to the outside, a jug of water, and a sleeping mat. He walks to the window, resting his head against the bars.  
"Zan'tabe will leave you be," Zan'tabe says quietly. "Make peace with what you did. You will do worse to survive here. And you may come to like it. If you wish to live...that would be for the best." he walks off, leaving Viperish Night to his thoughts.  
Viperish Night grips the bars, staring at the night, weary down to his soul, though he fears to sleep. He always fears to sleep now. He looks up at the sky. "Rishima," he says softly. "You should not look down on me. I can promise you that I will live, but I cannot be the Viper you knew." he closes his eyes shaking. "Forgive me, my river. That Viper did die when you left him. There is just Viperish Night left, for all that is worth." Finally unable to resist sleep any longer, he slumps to the ground and falls asleep against the wall.  
Dawn warms Viperish Night's scales and his eyes open. He had seen his Rishima again, but she was so far away this time. He had not even tried to reach the impossible distance between them, only watched as she once more faded away. He thought the dreams of madness would return after, but only darkness claimed him last night. He felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind. The pain of losing Rishima was no less, but he did not feel the madness gripping his mind as tightly. Viperish Night sighs softly and gets up to face the day.


	23. Act 2 - Paws and Claws

Last night bothered him, Viperish Night thought as he ate, keeping a distance from the others. Every single night since Rishima died, he had been plagued by nightmares after seeing her vanish time and time again. Yet last night... there was nothing. As if the nightmares had wanted to drive him here and vanished when their purpose was served. Stalks-in-Darkness had told him he had not been in his nightmares since the first, but Viperish Night did not trust him. He was a monster in the shadows with eyes set on Viperish Night. He raises his head to look at the other gladiators. Training would come in but a moment, and he looks away. Training to become...what? Someone who liked to kill and swim in blood?

Viperish Night stands against the wall in the training grounds shaking. The training was intense, but the stories the others told...they seemed to revel in all of this, most of them anyway. Titumus and the twins were far more reserved, more like soldiers than gladiators thirsty for a fight. Viperish Night sighs. They had tried to talk with him, but he pushed them away. He did not want friends, all they did was die.  
Zan'tabe bounds up to him. "You must train, Viperish Night."  
Viperish Night's eyes slide to him. "No." he hisses. "Just leave me alone. I cannot do this."  
Zan'tabe stays by his side for a few more minutes. "You truly wish to live, you will train, you will kill." he bounds back to his training and Viperish Night watches him go before turning his eyes from it again.  
An hour later Thjonwulf stalks into the training grounds. "Get out," he orders the gladiators, before focusing his eyes on Viperish Night. "You will stay."  
Everyone stops their training and walks out, Zan'tabe walks past Viperish Night. "I told you to train." He says softly, before following the others out.  
Thjonwulf stalks towards Viperish Night. "Face me." he orders and Viperish Night slowly turns around. Thjonwulf pounces and pins him to the wall. "You are MY slave, my gladiator." He snarls. "You submitted, that means you train. You fight. Why do you disobey?"  
Viperish Night turns his head away, blinking rapidly. "I am... not like them." Viperish Night says. "I do not want to fight. To kill."  
Thjonwulf grabs Viperish Night by the neck and tosses him into the middle of the training grounds. "I heard what you did to the Orcs. Saw the aftermath of the Argonians. And I saw what you did to Valsvis. I saw your eyes, savage Argonian!"  
Viperish Night leaps up snarling. "Do not call me that!" he howls, and once more the threads of his mind seem to snap as he races at Thjonwulf, who dodges and tosses him to the ground again. "You seem savage to me!" Again Viperish Night leaps at Thjonwulf, and again he throws him down. After more than a few tries of this Viperish Night finally gives up, lying on the ground panting. Thjonwulf stands over him.  
"You train this will not happen so easily." Thjonwulf lectures. "You need to fight, to get stronger."  
So many in this world were obsessed with strength. And demanded he feels the same. "No..." Viperish Night whispers.  
Thjonwulf coaches by Viperish Night. "Tell me this, savage Argonian. When you fought me, did your memories plague you? When you went after Valsvis, the Orcs, the Argonian's?"  
Viperish Night slowly closes his eyes. He wanted to ignore Thjonwulf. But... he lowers his head. The memories had vanished upon the tide of violence and blood. He felt free of the agony that plagued him since Rishima's death, even if it was just for a few moments.  
"Good savage Argonian," Thjonwulf says. "Blood and strength can drown out so many pesky things. You will train tomorrow."  
Viperish Night rises. "...Yes," he says. 

Thjonwulf was right. Viperish Night thinks as he trains with the other gladiators. The training is intense and it is dragging him deeper into a world he never wanted to be in. But...it quiets the memories, the guilt, the agony in his heart. And so the days pass quicker than he would have expected. As for the nights, he still glimpses Rishima each night but she is further and further away each time. One day he knows, he'll dream and she will not be there. The nightmares of horror and madness never return and he is more and more convinced Stalks-in-Darkness was responsible for most of it. If he is ever free...the thoughts of that take a very dark course. To want to murder... Viperish Night would have never thought he was capable of thinking this, much less doing it. But he had murdered. The Argonians in a fit of rage and madness. And the Orc, in cold blood. He would have taken the other two's lives as well if he had been able. And now... with this life... he would be strong enough even with his magic bound. 

During the training each day, they are free to choose their partners. Viperish Night has sparred with nearly everyone, save Tongue Bitter and Titumus. Thjonwulf comes every day to watch them and by the end of the second week, he approaches Viperish Night before the day's session. "If you fail to train against Orcs and Imps, how do you expect to win against them?" he says, staring down at Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night has learned that gladiators are brought from other islands and father away. Some are bound slaves, some are not and they are pitted against Thjonwulf's gladiators in a weekend of games held every month. Some matches are first blood, some matches are to the death, sometimes it is against beasts that gladiators are pitted against... but it has been a long time since one of Thjonwulf's gladiators has fallen in the ring. Thjonwulf would be very very angry if he lost, much less died. So Viperish Night looks at Tongue Bitter and speaks the truth. "I may lose control if faced against an Orc." Viperish Night's eyes narrow. The simmering rage is further down and he's not so quick to snap...but he does not yet trust himself completely.  
"Later then," Thjonwulf says. "Do you have the same problem with Titumus?"  
Viperish Night shakes his head no, and so Thjonwulf orders him to train with the Imperial. The training does not go well, Viperish Night's concentration keeps slipping, and he keeps getting knocked to the ground. Titumus finally pauses, studying Viperish Night with a serious expression. "At times we are paired together in the arena. If I cannot count on you to fight with me, then we will die. What is your problem with me?"  
Viperish Night looks away from Titumus and sits on the ground. Zan'tabe had told him Titumus's story one night in the baths. Titumus had been loyal to his empire, even though the false Empress sat on the White-Gold Throne. He was a soldier born and bred and loyalty was never in question for him. But his garrison had been ordered to attack fellow Imperial citizens and turn them over to the Daedra. Claimed they had rebelled against the Empire, which had been a lie. Titumus refused and his garrison followed him. The Empress sent the Zero legion and the Daedra after them, and every single one of Titumus's men was slaughtered, save for him. He was made an example of and sold into brutal slavery.  
Viperish Night finally speaks. "The Imperials...they were just following orders." He says quietly. "They were not bad, were they?"  
Titumus regards Viperish Night more carefully. "Some of them, yes. The Zero legion is proof of that... but some of us was just following orders. Even when it seemed the Empire sold out to the Daedra and necromancers. The Empress had been replaced, though I did not know that then. We followed orders, even when they did not make sense."  
Viperish Night shuts his eyes and shudders slightly. His former mentor telling him to slaughter the evil Imperials, that it was alright to do so. That Viperish Night would be saving people by sending his necromantic hordes against them.  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says.  
Viperish Night knows they need to train, and so he opens his eyes and looks up at Titumus. "My former mentor bade me to slaughter Imperials in Bangkorai. I thought it was just. But...he was just making me into a monster. I never considered the Imperials as anything other than very bad dry scales."  
Titumus is silent for a long moment, then offers Viperish Night his hand. "War is ugly and right and wrong depend on the side and history. And when the damn Daedra and corrupt men get mixed up in it... The Imperials in Bangkorai was there under orders to do harm, regardless of anything else."  
Viperish Night takes his hand, allowing Titumus to pull him up. Without any further speaking, the two trains until evening falls.

Later at dinner Za'gh focuses his red eyes on Viperish Night. "Za'gh heard what you said to Titumus. You spoke as if you alone fought Imperial armies in Bangkorai." The chatter of the other gladiators falls silent as all eyes focus on Viperish Night. "Za'gh wishes to know if you lied. Za'gh does not like liers!" Za'gh growls, showing razor-sharp fangs.  
Viperish Night puts his fish down and regards Za'gh much more carefully than he ever has. He had figured the eyes to be a rare trait but those were not normal Khajiit fangs. It had been a long time since he had seen one. And he had only ever seen a single Khajiit like this. "My truth for yours." Viperish Night finally says. "You are a vampire." he tilts his head. "I...think. If this collar was not around my neck I could tell for sure."  
Za'gh stares at him and then parts the fur around his upper arm, a band is locked around it, much like the collar around Viperish Night's neck. "Za'gh trusted a lier once. Our village kept being attacked by bandits, we did not have the numbers to strike back. She came to Za'gh in the night, promised power without consequence. Said Za'gh could use it to save his village, his family. And so this one was turned into a vampire. She left this one near the village and when this one awoke...the hunger overcame Za'gh. Za'gh slaughtered the bandits and every single Khajiit in the village. This one was unworthy of life after murdering his family, his people, so this one found a large group of Dunmer slavers and attacked so they would kill Za'gh." he pauses, and looks at the band, that must keep his vampiric powers in check. "Instead this happened." Za'gh falls silent and his eyes focus back onto Viperish Night. "Not a liar then. Necromancer."  
Israean regards Viperish Night. "There were reports in Bangkorai during the war of our armies advancing on the Imperial troops, only to find them already defeated. This was you?"  
Rayrl slams her fork down. "Defeated, brother? Destroyed. Torn apart with dust and bones scattered throughout! It was blasphemy!"  
Viperish Night bows his head. "I meant no harm. But I caused harm. My former mentor bid me to the icy dark. I thought he was right and it was the only path...until forces opened my eyes."  
"You meant no harm?" Rayrl stands up, her chair crashing to the ground, and she stalks out.  
Israean also rises, soon to go after his sister. "Forgive her. We know to put the past aside here, but this is a painful subject for us. We enlisted in the army to run away from that pain. The path...did not go as expected."  
Viperish Night looks at Israean. He knows the pain of the past, of things one can never forget. "Memories consume." Viperish Night says. "Agony, madness." his eyes lose focus and he rises. "I..." he turns and walks to his room. 

Viperish Night slowly opens his eyes. He had come to his room and gazed out at the night a long time before he curled up to sleep. But now, something was in the room with him. He shifts his gaze and finds a pair of eyes staring at him from the foot of his mat. He leaps up and as his eyes focus in the dim light, he sees it is the Bosmer Fernthorn. In training she's lithe and agile, one moment she's there, the next over there, and she has to be told not to bite in training. He hisses low.  
"Necromancer!" Fernthorn says with glee. "I never met a necromancer before. Never ate one before either!"  
Viperish Night leans against the wall, his eyes on her, but his thoughts on the past. The last Bosmer he knew was a little crazy as well, but this woman was something else. He tilts his head, his gaze sad. "I know not all Bosmer EAT people," he says.  
Fernthorn grins at him, her teeth are filed to points. "My clan does. We practice the old ways. We feast upon our enemies, and no one messes with us."  
"Someone messed with you." Viperish Night points out.  
Fernthorn's expression turns thunderous. "And someday, I will eat them as well. I pray to Hircine to bring me my prey." she quiets. "Though I must not have won enough matches to be considered enough of a hunter for him to answer me." She turns and opens the door. "I want to see you fight, Viperish Night. You are savage enough to rip apart your own species." she leaves, closing the door after her leaving Viperish Night to his puzzlement and confusion. He lays back down, stares at the darkness until sleep takes him.

After training the next day Viperish Night submerges in one of the baths, vanishing from view. Zan'tabe, Qa'Dar, and Kigum-dar are in the next bath over. Viperish Night finally surfaces and stares at the three Khajiit. He knows Zan'tabe from the slavers' boat. "How were you taken?" he hisses. Zan'tabe is big, and Kigum-dar is even bigger. It is hard to think of them getting taken by Dunmer. He's seen them spar. As for Qa'Dar, he's so very elusive as if he has had much practice.  
Zan'tabe looks over and shrugs. "This one's Mother kept annoying him to take over the farm. So this one decided to wander far away lands. Zan'tabe might have been in error thinking he was big enough for no one to mess with."  
"After a heist," Qa'Dar says. "Do NOT tell anyone, but this one was a member of the thieves guild." He frowns. "Qa'Dar wanted to impress a lady Dunmer, so Qa'Dar told her many details. She was so pretty. And a slaver. Qa'Dar DID NOT KNOW THAT THEN!" he sighs. "She said she wanted us to go to the barn instead of a room. Qa'Dar was stupid and followed. She had friends."  
"Kigum-dar is Pahmar. This one was hired to bodyguard a very important Khajiit merchant. We were set upon by Daedra one night, this one does not know where they came from. Kigum-dar fought very hard and slew dozens! But they kept coming and soon everyone was dead save for Kigum-dar." he lowers his head. "Kigum-dar failed, and was near death's door when the Dunmer slavers came across this one."  
"Zan'tabe asks Viperish Night now," Zan'tabe says.  
Viperish Night hisses softly. "When I turned from necromancy, my former mentor betrayed me to the Dunmer," he says, his eyes dimming. All he had gone through since that day, though not all was horrible. He starts to get out of the bath but Kigum-dar unexpectedly touches his arm.  
"Kigum-dar notices. You keep your distance. This one thought we disgusted you, but it is not that. Your pain is in your eyes."  
Viperish Night shrugs off his touch and gets up, heading for the towels. He pauses though and sighs looking back. "I thought it would all be horrible. Having my magic locked from me, my freedom taken away. But I met Rishima. And I was happier than I had been anywhere. But...she was murdered." he looks away. "All I care for dies. I chose to not care for anyone any longer. I do not know what I want, but I do not want that pain again." he hisses and walks out to his room.  
Viperish Night rests his head against the bars. The agony, still present. He wants to chase it away, to drown it. The others here... they had their pain. They just seemed to cope with it better than Viperish Night. He sighs, and lies down, staring at the night until sleep comes.

Nearly two more weeks pass in training and Thjonwulf approaches Viperish Night after training, and he just stares at him with those brown eyes that contain a wild wolf. Viperish Night wants to either back away or snap at him. But he has learned much in the time he's been here. He cannot challenge Thjonwulf, nor can he back away like a coward. He is becoming something else, after all. Thjonwulf finally speaks. "Savage Argonian. You will fight your first match in two days. The challengers will be streaming into MY arena, and they will fight MY gladiators. Be savage Argonian, and you will live in glory." Thjonwulf looks at the other gladiators. "For Victory! And you will be rewarded, as always." he walks out of the training yard.  
Viperish Night raises his head, looking at Thjonwulf's back as he walks away. He has been trained for this, but he will be asked to fight, perhaps even kill for the ones who kept them in chains. Zan'tabe comes up to him, placing a paw on his shoulder. "Remember what Zan'tabe said when you came here," he says. "And no matter how you try to deny, you are one of us. We stand together. You do not have to care for us for that to be true."  
Viperish Night's eyes track to Zan'tabe and finally nods. He will fight. He will be this savage Argonian that lurks within him. He promised Rishima he'd live. Even if it was not as the Viper she knew, he would live.


	24. Act 2 - First Blood

The gate looms before Viperish Night. Soon it will open, and soon he'll be expected to fight. He paces behind the shut gate clad in gladiator armor. Already he can hear the crowd roaring. He feels dizzy and it threatens to turn into uncertainty. He has to push that away. This is his life, and how that came to be...he knows that part all too well. That is what torments him. He should be in the sun with his Rishima, not here ready to spill blood for the amusement of others. But... Viperish Night stops pacing and stands before the door. Training dulls the pain, this may finally start to destroy it, even if it is just a little. Perhaps when the agony quiets, he can, at last, find out what he wants. And if it's even possible to get it. His eyes narrow. Though he does know something he wants. Revenge. He wants the blood of the two Orcs, Valsvis, his former mentor, and perhaps even Stalks-in-Darkness. He wants to murder them. To have their blood on his claws. The monster inside of him, the icy river. He fears it's starting to consume him with thoughts such as these. He's just not sure he cares as much as he once did.

The gate starts to rise and Viperish Night snaps out of his thoughts. As it fully opens he steps through onto the sands of the arena. The crowd roars. How can so many want blood and carnage? To see gladiators war for their amusement? Viperish Night growls softly, he suddenly wants them dead. All of them. A shiver of ice crawls down his spine and he quickly shakes the thought away. That is...not something to want despite everything that has happened. Viperish Night turns his gaze straight ahead, at his opponent who is also entering the arena. A silver furred short and stocky Khajiit with cruel silver eyes. Viperish Night's thoughts flashback on his training with the Khajiits. They rely on either brute force or wily acrobatics depending on the Khajiit. Sometimes a mix. They will always use claws and fangs. Roars to startle their opponents and screeches to unbalance them. This one... Viperish Night eyes him carefully, how he moves across the sand. This one is wily.  
Thjonwulf is riling up the crowd. "For the first time in a long time, I have an Argonian gladiator for your pleasure! Savage Argonian! He slaughters his own kind with wild abandon, so what do you think he'll do to the Khajiit Eye-Ripper tonight?!" The crowd roars and Thjonwulf bellows for the match to start.  
Viperish Night and Eye-Ripper circle each other. No weapons, save for their jaws and fangs. Eye-Ripper tenses on the balls of his paws and leaps, Viperish Night dodges right and Eye-Ripper spins, Viperish Night feels claws rip the back of his armor. Viperish Night quickly spins around and ducks as Eye-Ripper's next blow brushes the air above him. It had been aimed at his face. Viperish Night headbutts Eye-Ripper, sending the Khajiit crashing into the sands. Viperish Night is on him with a hiss and claws, he feels them puncture Eye-Ripper's arm and leg, the warm blood coating his claws. Eye-Ripper screeches and bucks Viperish Night off, who corkscrew spins to land on all four limbs. Viperish Night hisses at Eye-Ripper and Eye-Ripper screech an ear-splitting cry as he kicks up sand into Viperish Night's face. Viperish Night's eyes close in pain and Eye-Ripper takes advantage and surges toward him. Viperish Night turns and slams his tail into Eye-Ripper's belly with a whoosh and he crashes to the sands again.  
"KILL HIM!" The crowd roars, screaming for the Khajiit's blood.  
Kill... Viperish Night manages to open his eyes a crack to look at Eye-Ripper. He must do this, and so he leaps at Eye-Ripper again. But he had hesitated a second too long and Eye-Ripper dodges and slams into Viperish Night's legs, sending him crashing to the sands. Eye-Ripper is on him in an instant, straddling Viperish Night as he tries to get up. The sand scratches at his eyes forcing them shut again just as Eye-Ripper's claws come down on either side of Viperish Night's head. Viperish Night roars in pain and headbutts Eye-Ripper again, sending him stagging back. Viperish Night tries to open his eyes but the blood blinds him utterly. Rishima... he thinks, then snarls. He will not die! The ice darkness surges and Viperish Night snaps forward the same moment Eye-Ripper does. Viperish Night howls, and then snaps his jaws around Eye-Ripper's neck, savagely ripping it apart. Eye-Ripper spasms in Viperish Night's grip and finally stops moving. Viperish Night lets him drop to the ground. The crowd goes utterly crazy chanting the name Thjonwulf gave him. Savage Argonian. A wave of dizziness hits Viperish Night but before he can fall he feels a furry arm catching him.  
"Zan'tabe has you," Zan'tabe says. "Zan'tabe will take you to Mosien now." Viperish Night lets Zan'tabe lead him out of the arena, to a small infirmary off the main arena.

In the arena infirmary, Mosien cleans Viperish Night's face, applying something foul-smelling to stop the bleeding, then forces Viperish Night's eyes open to wash the blood out of them. "Mosien says you are lucky Argonian's have thick eyelids," he says. "Your eyes are undamaged."  
Thjonwulf walks in to stand before Viperish Night, who's rapidly blinking his eyes. "One second you hesitated." He says. "But you became my Savage Argonian in the end. You will not hesitate next time. You know what it costs now, what it almost cost you."  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "You were right," he says quietly. Not just about the hesitation, but about the pain. Only for a second had he thought of Rishima, had the pain intruded. The rest of the time he was free and the pain now seemed a little bit less now.  
"Of course I was right," Thjonwulf says. He tosses Mosien a small tin of red powder. "First victory, wear the marks of it proudly!" Thjonwulf turns and walks out, for the next match will start shortly.  
"Eyes tightly closed," Mosien instructs. Once Viperish Night closes his eyes, Mosien applies the red power to the claw wounds on either side of Viperish Night's head.  
Viperish Night hisses slightly. It stings as it sinks into his wounds. "What is it?" he asks  
"A mix of things from Skyrim." Mosien answers. "It will bind to the wounds and dye them the color of blood. We all have them, as you have seen." Mosien finishes. "You can open your eyes now."  
Viperish Night opens his eyes and shakes his head a little. Mosien chuckles. "Oh my... you may have the best first blood marks of us all. Mosien's is...unfortunately on his rear end."  
Viperish Night stares at Mosien. "Your joking," he says.  
Mosien shakes his head. "Sadly, no." he stands back, allowing Viperish Night to stand. "Mosien almost saw a smile on that face of yours! Now go watch the rest of the matches. The pit is through that door."  
Viperish Night heads to the door and pauses, looking back at Mosien. "Does it get any easier?" Viperish Night asks.  
Mosien sighs softly. "Mosien says yes. But it takes its price for that."  
Viperish Night heads into the pit. The price for murder, killing blood. It drives you into the icy dark. The same thing he had fought against this whole time. And now, it was the only way to stay alive, and to destroy the agony within his heart.

Zan'tabe waves Viperish Night over as he enters. "That was a match!" he says. "Come, Viperish Night. Fernthorn is next."  
Titumus puts his hand to his face. "I have a strong stomach, but that woman's fights can make even my stomach turn."  
"Qa'Dar loves woman. But Qa'Dar stays far away from Fernthorn! The one time this one made a move on her, this one woke up to find her teeth on Qa'Dar's ear. She threatened to EAT them if Qa'Dar ever did that again! Qa'Dar does not."  
Viperish Night stares at Qa'Dar. "She likes invading our rooms," he says, recalling her visit.  
Titumus sighs. "She somehow knew I looked away from the first match I saw of her. Came into my room and gave me a graphic replay that night."  
"Some enjoy this life more than others," Israean says softly.  
"Brother, I think she may have been like this back home too," Rayrl says. "The Wood Elfs can be...strange."  
Viperish Night is trying to take this all in. The clammer of the other gladiators, his thoughts, the match. It all is swirling in his mind. He finally sits down.  
"Zan'tabe wishes his match was today. But Zan'tabe will have to wait till tomorrow. Fernthorn, Kigum-dar, Za'gh, and Tongue Biter are up tonight."

Thjonwulf's voice thunders out as Fernthorn and an Ashlander walk into the arena. "A fan favorite or fan nightmare is a better term!" He cries out. "The Wood elf that haunts your dreams, Cannibalistic Thorn! And who will feed her tonight, it is the Ashlander from the volcanic fields of Vvardenfell, Living Lava!"  
Fernthorn has a spiked whip in her hands and a knife on her belt and she bears her sharpened teeth at the crowd and Living Lava, before bowing her head in prayer. Living Lava is seemly unarmed, but the grin on his face belays that thought. With a cry from Thjonwulf, the fight is on!  
Fernthorn raises her head and charges Living Lava, who's hands flash out and lava erupts from out of thin air. She dodges, rolling under it, and leaps onto the Ashlander, sinking her teeth into his ear. He screams, throws her off, blood flowing down the side of his head. Fernthorn gulps down the ear and Living Lava bellows in anger, lava covering his body in armor as he races to her in utter anger. Her whip comes down onto his arm and she flings him into the sands cracking the armor. More lava, which she nimbly dodges as she cracks down the whip shattering his armor when there is enough of an opening she dives in, the knife suddenly in her hands and then in his chest. She leaps back and crows as the Ashlander bleeds out, the rest of his lava armor falling from him. 

Fernthorn heads out and is soon in the box with the rest of them. She lies down on the ground, licking her knife. "I cannot wait until tonight. Thjonwulf will bring his body to me, and I shall feast. After I cut out the heart for Hircine."  
Viperish Night stares at her. He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it.  
"Sometimes, to not know is best," Israean says. "Too late for that."  
"Zan'tabe thinks Viperish Night does not know yet. We are rewarded for our victories! Thjonwulf will ask you what you want by the end of the night." Zan'tabe explains.  
Viperish Night looks at Fernthorn again and then back to Zan'tabe. "...so Fernthorn wishes her enemies bodies." he gulps slightly. "I..."  
"Best not to think about it," Titumus says. "I simply ask for Imperial wine. So I can drink to my fallen soldiers and drink myself into Oblivion for a few nights."  
"Zan'tabe likes...moon sugar cakes. What? Zan'tabe likes sweet things...his mother made the best ones." Zan'tabe answers.  
"Qa'Dar gets a woman. Sometimes three!" Qa'Dar says in glee. "If I knew woman liked gladiators better than thieves I might have switched carrier lines sooner."  
"Food and spices from home. For both of us." Rayrl quietly says. "They remind us of Alik'r, of the days before it all went wrong."  
"Tounge Biter gets a barrel of ale," Zan'tabe says. "Kigum-dar and Za'gh refuse rewards. You know their stories, Viperish Night. They feel the need to be punished."

Thjonwulf's voice booms out. "From distant sands the Pahmer warrior, The Ferocious Tiger! What warrior even DARES to fight this monstrous gladiator!? An even stranger cat, a Senche-Raht from unknown wilds, The Mauler of the Dark!"  
Kigum-dar walks onto the sands, and running to meet him is a Senche-Raht, his pelt a tawny golden with a thick black mane and fierce eyes. Mauler roars and the match is on. Kigum-dar is charged head-on by Mauler, he leaps to the side and aims a powerful kick at Mauler's side. Mauler spins and tags Kigum-dar's leg with his claws, but it is as if Kigum-dar does not even feel it for he retaliates by leaping onto Mauler, gripping with his powerful claws. Mauler bucks, then when that fails to toss Kigum-dar off he rolls onto the ground. Kigum-dar skids across the sands and Mauler's fangs close on his throat. Kigum-dar grabs Mauler's jaws with both hands, keeping them from snapping down. With a powerful thrust of his arms, he breaks Mauler's jaw and pushes him to the side. Before Mauler can recover, Kigum-dar's claws come down, quickly ending the Senche-Raht's life. Kigum-dar rises and heads out of the arena, ignoring the crowd's roar of approval.

When he enters the box, Kigum-dar quietly sits down next to Zan'tabe. "Kigum-dar does not like it when he is pitted against other Khajiits," he says, closing his eyes.  
Zan'tabe pats him on the shoulder. "Still a worthy battle. Senche-Raht's are not to be taken lightly. This one would never want to fight one."

Again, Thjonwulf's voice cries out. "An Orc cast out and adrift, he comes to this arena for the sole purpose of depriving others what he has been deprived of, Tongue Biter! And who dares to try to beat this Orc at his own game? The Crimson-Skinned Demon from Alik'r!"  
Tongue-Biter and The Crimson-Skinned Demon walk into the arena, and the match is on. Both are armed with heavy clubs, and Crimson strikes first with a heavy uppercut. Tongue-Biter meets it with a strike from his club, the boom from the two clubs colliding echoing out throughout the arena. Crimson strikes his fist at Tongue-Biter's face, he just laughs and headbutts Crimson. When Crimson trips, Tongue-Biter is on him, his tusks goring Crimson's face as he rips out the Redguard's tongue. He then smashes his club against Crimson's throat, ending him.

Tongue-Biter enters the pit and heads to the very back, leaning against the wall with arms crossed. He looks bored.  
"Za'gh is the final match tonight," Kigum-dar says quietly, and he looks at Viperish Night.  
"Za'gh will not talk much of the past before he was turned," Zan'tabe says. "He does not like what he has become, and he is truly the monster he fears in the arena."  
Viperish Night nods. "I know vampires from Rivenspire," he says. "Some are rabid blood fiends that have nothing left of who they were before. Some can control it." his gaze grows distant. "A...friend of mine was a vampire. He was not bad."  
"Then you understand," Kigum-dar says.  
"We protect him," Zan'tabe says. "Remind him he's not just a monster. Zan'tabe is glad you understand this."

"The final match for tonight!" Thjonwulf cries out. "The vampiric Khajiit, Fiend of the Shadows! And facing him is something nearly as rare, how they fished a Maormer up from the sea I will never know, the man-eater of the deep, Dread Shark!"  
Za'gh stalks out onto the sands, armed with nothing but his claws and his vampiric fangs. The band around his arm is glowing, part of his vampiric powers have been released for the match. The Maormer Dread Shark slinks onto the sands, armed with a wicked harpoon. Dread Shark stops and suddenly throws the harpoon, Za'gh dodges to the side and charges at him. Dread Shark dives at him, the two tumble in the sands, Za'gh's fangs glimmering, Dread Shark digging his fingernails into Za'gh's fur. The two roll apart and Dread Shark grabs the harpoon and slams it into Za'gh, who goes flying, crashing onto the sands. Dread Shark stands over him and Za'gh just looks up at him. When Dread Shark plunges it at his chest, Za'gh suddenly rolls, and it sinks into his arm instead. He grips it and uses it to pull Dread Shark in biting range, and with a strike as fast as a snake his fangs plunge into the Maormer's neck, blood spraying into the air. Za'gh throws him to the side and wrenches the harpoon from his arm, before getting up and walking out of the arena.

Viperish Night turns to Zan'tabe. "He could have dodged. He let himself be hurt." Viperish Night hisses.  
"This one told you, he wishes punishment," Zan'tabe says.  
"But..." Viperish Night trails off, not knowing how to put it in words. He had been looking for death before Rishima had saved him. There seemed no way out. Za'gh's past was far worse than his, yet he did not let the Maormer kill him despite the fact he had said he attacked the Dunmer slaves for that very reason.  
"Death is not punishment," Kigum-dar says.  
"And he fears where he may go, after," Zan'tabe adds. "If he travels to the sands behind the stars, he fears those Khajiit he killed will never forgive him." Zan'tabe pauses. "Vampires are Molag Bal's curse upon the world. No one knows if their souls are claimed by the Prince of Domination at the end, or not. It's not something Zan'tabe would be eager to find out."  
Viperish Night goes still as he thinks of the count he knew from Rivenspire.  
"You grow quiet," Zan'tabe says.  
"My friend died." Viperish Night says quietly. "I did not know... a Daedric Prince was responsible for vampires. That they..."  
"Best not think about it," Kigum-dar says. "The Daedric... it is best not to think of them at all." his eyes narrow, the only hint of anger Viperish Night has ever seen cross his eyes. 

"That is all for tonight! Show up tomorrow and see if anyone manages to best MY gladiators, the best in all the lands!" Thjonwulf bellows to the crowd's roar, then it starts to quiet as the night of games ends. A few minutes later Thjonwulf enters the pit. He walks straight to Viperish Night. "You may request what you want, my savage Argonian. Within reason."  
Viperish Night looks away. Getting rewarded for this? He feels slightly ill. "I do not need rewards," he says.  
"Hmm.," Thjonwulf says. "I know somethings you want, Viperish Night." Viperish Night turns his head back to Thjonwulf as he continues. "I cannot yet give you one of those things. But win a few more matches for me, and I"ll give you two other things you want." he smiles savagely and walks out.  
Qa'Dar gets up and stretches. "What's he talking about, Viperish Night?"  
The rest of the gladiators get up, ready to head to bed, though they pause in curiously. Viperish Night closes his eyes briefly. "...he cannot mean what I think he means." he finally says and walks out.  
"He's not going to tell us," Qa'Dar says with a sigh.  
Zan'tabe pats him on the shoulder. "We will see soon enough. As long as we keep winning!"

The next day brings Titumus into the ring. "One more night of bloody carnage!" Thjonwulf cries for the crowd. "You know you hate him, The Imperial who had the gall to turn on his empire, the Traitor! Unmatched in swords, who dares think they can behead this turncoat? It is a Breton, formerly of the Lion-guard, Wildboar!"  
Titumus and Wildboar walk on the field and he and Wildboar meet in the middle, bowing to one another before taking out their swords. After circling each other a few times, Wildboar makes the first move, a seemingly reckless frontal attack. Titumus sees it for the feint it is, and turns to the side, meeting Wild Boar's sword with his own. Steel clashes against steel as the battle intensifies. Wildboar's sword tastes first blood, a strike against Titumus's forearm, and then he goes in for another feint. Again, Titumus sees straight past it, and in one smooth strike, he strikes the sword from Wildboar's hands and knocks the Breton down. The point of his sword is pressed against Wildboar's neck and TitumUs pauses, his gaze on Thjonwulf.  
"Traitor once more asks YOU to decide his opponent's fate!" Thjonwulf cries. "Does Wildboar deserve a stay of execution?" The crowd cheers for Wildboar's death. "You heard the crowd, Traitor!" Thjonwulf says.  
Titumus drives the sword into Wildboar's throat and bows his head briefly before heading into the pit to sit arms crossed. "I need a drink" he mutters.  
"There is little honor in this," Kigum-dar says as he gets up to sit by Titumus. "Still you try. Kigum-dar finds this honorable in itself."  
"The names they call us..." Viperish Night hisses. "Seem cruel..."  
Titumus turns to look at him. "And yet they reflect a truth within our souls," he says. "One we cannot escape...even if our faces were not rubbed in it."  
"I like mine," Fernthorn says. 

"A long time favorite, one who has yet to fall!" Thjonwulf starts up again, to the backdrop of the crowd. "A peaceful Khajiit from the realms of Elsweyr, he found his inner animal when captured and turned into a beast! The Ferocious Grimalkin! And who will fight this kitty? It's a very big Orc that loves to bash heads in, HeadBasher!"  
Zan'tabe bounds onto the field, hands held high as the crowd roars. An ax is on his belt. A huge Orc lumbers in armed with a club and Zan'tabe taunts him with his paws. The fight is on and Headbasher charges right toward Zan'tabe, who leaps to the side and somersaults through the air. Headbasher turns around his club swishing through the air. Zan'tabe ducks under and then rolls on the sands, crashing into Headbasher's legs. The Orc tumbles to the ground with a ground-shaking crash and Zan'tabe leaps upon him, only to be grabbed and thrown off. Headbasher gets up and slams his club at Zan'tabe, who barely manages to dodge. The club slams into the ground, sinking into the sand a little. Zan'tabe leaps upon it and runs up it and launches himself at Headbasher's head. Headbasher cries out, but Zan'tabe is already latched onto his throat with his fangs, his claws digging into the Orc's arms. With a mighty crash, both fall to the ground, and Zan'tabe is the only one to get up. Zan'tabe waves to the crowd, before bounding to the pit.

Viperish Night stares at Zan'tabe, then tilts his head. Zan'tabe walks over to him and slaps him on the back. "Might as well enjoy life a little!" he says as he sits down.  
Viperish Night opens his mouth then closes it. He cannot find anything to say to this. Every one of the gladiators takes to the ring differently. He turns his head to look out at the sands. To survive... he blinks. "Strong," he says softly. "All of you."  
"Zan'tabe is!" Zan'tabe puffs out his chest. "You are too, Viperish Night. We will last forever in the arena!"  
Titumus turns to look at Zan'tabe, then shakes his head. "I was never that young."

"From the Alik'r Desert twin warriors that fly through the air to take on any foes! The Dragon Winds! And facing them today is the vicious Hulkynds fro Summerset, the Rabid Curs! Can these dogs take down the crowd favorite?" Thjonwulf roars, and the crowd roars back.  
Rayrl and Israean withdraw twin swords each, as they approach the middle of the arena. The two Hulkynd's take out twin axes and the two sets of fighters circle each other, and then in a blur of movement, the fight is on! Swords clash against axes as the four fighters move in a tornado of lightning-swift movements. One of the Rabid Cur's ducks under Israean's blades and veers off toward Rayrl, who spins, clashing her swords against his axes. The other Rabid Cur dives to the side and comes up on Israean's side, axes swinging up, he spins around, and once more blade and ax crash against each other. The battle continues with neither side gaining the upper hand until Israean gives his sister a look, then charges one of the Rabid Curs. He dodges, but Rayrl is right there, her blades sinking into his chest. The final Rabid cur goes mad and leaps onto Israean's back, driving one ax into his shoulder and sending the two crashing down. Israean bucks him off and spins around, one of his swords sinking into the cur's throat. The crowd goes wild and Rayrl helps her brother up and heads off the sands to the infirmary. 

"And finally, our last match of the night, it is the Khajiit who knows no bounds, the Thief of Hearts! Facing our thief tonight, is the bold, the unstoppable Bosmer, Demon of the Trees!  
Qa'Dar strolls out onto the sands, waving to the females in the sands. Demon of the Trees stalks out and zeros in on Qa'Dar without a seconds hesitation, taking out a wicked knife. Qa'Dar shrugs and nimbly leaps to the side, tripping the Bosmer to the sands, though Demon leaps up before Qa'Dar can take advantage. He circles Qa'Dar more slowly this time, looking for an opening. Qa'Dar turns with him, his whiskers quivering as he looks for the same. The two leap at the same time, grabbing ahold of each other in midair and tumbling to the ground. Demon attempts to sink the knife into Qa'Dar's side, Qa'Dar twists in a seemingly unnatural way to sink his fangs into Demon's wrist, causing him to curse and drop the knife. Demon bucks Qa'Dar off and then charges at him, both once more tumble on the sand rolling. One moment Qa'Dar is on top, the next Demon. Suddenly there is a yell, blood pours onto the sands and Qa'Dar leaps up. Demon flails and goes still, his knife sticking from his throat. Qu'Dar had grabbed the knife in a sleight of hand, Demon non the wiser. Qu'Dar waves to the ladies of the crowd one more time before leaving the arena.  
"YES! This month's games are concluded!" Thjonwulf roars. "You've had your fill of blood and carnage for one month, but Thjonwulf knows you will return next month! I DARE you to bring challengers that can take down my undefeated gladiators!" The crowd goes wild.

Long after the other gladiators had gone to bed, Viperish Night wanders. He ends up in the dining room, just sitting and staring at the stars through the bars of the small window. Suddenly Za'gh is by his side, so very silent. "Your eyes are like Za'gh," Za'gh says quietly. Viperish Night tilts his head to the side in puzzlement. "You should hold mercy in your heart, hold to being honorable, and who you were before. But you wish to end them all." Za'gh says. "The way they cheer at this one...celebrate his monstrosity. They laugh at Za'gh's family's deaths and do not even know it, much less care."  
Chills run down Viperish Night's spine, and he looks down. "I do not mean to think about such things." Viperish Night admits. "...this collar. I think I am glad of it now."  
"Our bonds chain us, but they also chain the monsters inside of us," Za'gh says.  
Viperish Night closes his eyes and nods. "I never wanted to be a monster. But now, there are those I want to murder... and this fighting, this blood, and carnage somehow eases the agony in my heart." Viperish Night falls silent after that, and the two looks out at the stars quietly before returning to their beds.


	25. Act 2 - Inner Demons

Viperish Night chews on his fish, listening to the other gladiators talk about tomorrow's games for it had been announced it would be all double matches and it was up to them to decide who was paired with who. It had been a few months since his first fight and he's slowly gotten used to it. And with each match, each savage kill, the pain in his heart shrinks.  
"We will not pair with anyone else," Rayrl says. Viperish Night tilts his head, the twins have always fought together. He has never asked why, out of the gladiators, they are the quietest about their past.  
Israean laughs a little. "Viperish Night, you can just ask. But since you may not..." he looks thoughtful and a little sad. "I and Rayrl have decided that we will travel to the Far Shores together. Our family awaits us there when it is time."  
"So if one of us falls in the arena, so too will the other," Rayrl says. "No matter how we must do it if it comes to taking our blade upon ourselves."  
Viperish Night drops his fish and looks down. "To be reunited in death... You are lucky," he says softly. "I have nowhere to go upon death, so I do not want to die."  
The table falls silent. Qa'Dar sighs and chews on a chicken leg. "Well, that killed the mood. Qa'Dar says, no one dies! At least not this month."  
Zan'tabe is the next to sigh. "Qa'Dar, you killed the mood again. We may not have been close to Tongue Biter, but that reminds this one of his fall last month."  
Fernthorn slams a fist on the table. "Viperish Night!" she yells, changing the subject in a drastic matter. "I want to fight with him," she says, giving Viperish Night a hungry look.  
The table starts to talk up again about who is paired with who, when Titumus speaks up. He had been silent since dinner started. "No. I will fight with Viperish Night."  
Fernthorn gives Titumus a dirty look but before she can debate, Zan'tabe speaks up. "Viperish Night and Titumus then. You are fine with that, Viperish Night?"  
Viperish Night slowly nods, though he's puzzled why Titumus is so insistent on fighting with him. He has tried not to get close to his fellow gladiators, but...  
The talk continues and it's decided that the rest of the pairings would be Fernthorn and Za'gh, and Kigum-dar and Zan'tabe. 

~/~  
Later that night when everyone else is asleep, Zan'tabe and Titumus meet in the dining hall. "Zan'tabe suspects your reasons," Zan'tabe says, arms crossed across his chest.  
Titumus sits down. "This life of brutality," Titumus says. "It changes us. But most of us manage to stay who we are, at least for the most part."  
Zan'tabe takes a seat next to Titumus, sighing. "It is not easy. Zan'tabe's mother would be beside herself if she could see this one. Fighting and killing in the arena and bounding around like a happy kitten throughout."  
"It is how you deal," Titumus says. "We all have our methods for dealing with this."  
"This one thinks you doubt Viperish Night's method for dealing with it," Zan'tabe says.  
Titumus looks over at Zan'tabe. "He's not dealing with it in the right way."  
"Zan'tabe disagrees!" Zan'tabe says. "He's a little brutal in his matches, but he still seems the same. Zan'tabe says you are mistaken."  
Titumus looks down at the floor. "I have seen it many times," Titumus says. "Good men and women devoured by their demons and pain until only darkness and madness remain. These kinds of people can set the world to burn."  
Zan'tabe is very silent for long minutes, before putting his face into his paw. "Zan'tabe insists that Viperish Night is not like that. But... the look in his eyes sometimes scares Zan'tabe."  
"Darkness and unfathomable pain," Titumus says. "Each match he lets the darkness grow, he's using it to escape the pain instead of dealing with the cause of it."  
Zan'tabe shivers. "By Jone and Jode, but we are all but slaves. They would not let us burn the world down. They would not even let us burn a tree down!"  
"And if Viperish Night had his magic?" Titumus said. "His necromantic magic?"  
"Zan'tabe doubts that would be enough to take down the island, much less the world!" Zan'tabe spits out.  
Titumus looks pointedly at Zan'tabe. "It was the machinations of the necromancer Mannimarco that very nearly fused our world with Molag Bals. If Viperish Night can take out garrisons of trained Imperial soldiers, he could very well be in the same league as Mannimarco someday." Titumus sighs. "I fought...besides many necromancers at our Empress's bidding and not a single one was that powerful."  
Zan'tabe gulps. "Good thing we are here to help him!" he says. "Just like we help Za'gh."  
"Zan'tabe, Za'gh wants our help," Titumus says.  
"You don't think Viperish Night does?" Zan'tabe asks.  
"That is what I intend to find out," Titumus says. "Trust me, I have no love for necromancers but I can tell Viperish Night is not like the ones I met. At least not yet. I want to help him."  
"So does this one," Zan'tabe says. "Zan'tabe was very angry, but I remember Viperish Night from the boat. His eyes were so scared and lost, but there was no darkness in them then. No desire to tear the Dunmer into pieces. Zan'tabe...may have wanted to do that a little." Zan'tabe stands up, yawning. "Zan'tabe must sleep, so this one does not fall asleep during his match. This one thinks you worry too much, Titumus. And after all, there is that collar of his." Zan'tabe starts to stroll out.  
"A collar with no locking mechanism," Titumus says. "It has to be magical in nature, and it has to have a way of release. A condition if you will."  
Zan'tabe freezes and turns his head to look at Titumus. "...It could just pop off one day?"  
"I doubt it is so simple," Titumus says. "Go to sleep, Zan'tabe. Let this old soldier here to ponder this."  
Zan'tabe nods and heads off to bed, a worried look on his face.  
~/~

"This month we have a special show for all of you!" Thjonwulf shouts. "Double matches! Watch as they fight for glory and blood! And tomorrow, we will have a special battle royal! Now bring on the challengers!"  
Viperish Night and Titumus are second up, they wait behind the gate as Rayrl and Israean battle with two black-furred Khajiit's armed with swords. The clash of metal on metal, the cries as blades struck flesh echo from beyond the gate. Viperish Night paces up and down, swishing his tail on the ground. Titumus leans against the wall, arms crossed with his eyes focused on Viperish Night.  
A feline scream, echoed by a feline roar. One of the Khajiit's is down. Against Rayrl and Israean the last one stands no chance at all and the battle dies down.  
"As always, no pairing on Nirn can challenge the twin Dragon Winds of the Desert! Up next we have a most unusual pairing, the Savage Argonian with the Traitor! And to face them is two former Shadow Scales who instead of retiring from murder, have brought the murder into the light! Murder and Mayhem!"  
"Be on your guard, Viperish Night," Titumus says as the gate rises and the two walk out into the arena. "Assassins use dirty tricks."  
"I remember." Viperish Night hisses. It had been apart of training, to learn how to fight all kinds of warriors and beasts. Brute force would merely get a knife where you least expect it...

"Viperish Night," Titumus says, and Viperish Night ducks as a knife slices above his head. He turns, slamming a foot into Murder's chest, sending him flying backward at Titumus, who knocks him down as Viperish Night turns in time to grab Mayhem's wrist, the knife had been aimed right at his back. Viperish Night hisses as he looks at the Argonian. It was the first time he had fought his kind in the arena. Their eyes reminded him of the Argonian's in the mine...so very Argonian, and seeming to taunt that he was not. He flings Mayhem down to the ground hard enough to snap Mayhem's wrist and Mayhem snarls before leaping back up and onto Viperish Night. The two tumble to the ground and Viperish Night snaps his jaws on the Argonian's neck, savaging it. He rises and looks at Murder, who's down on the ground with Titumus's sword on his neck. Thjonwulf starts to ask the crowd what they want Murder's fate to be when Murder suddenly rolls, Titumus's sword scouring his neck deeply. He leaps onto Titumus, his claws sinking into the Imperial's arms. Titumus knocks him away with him, but Murder knocks him down. Before Murder can leap upon him, Viperish Night leaps, crashing into the Argonian. The two tumble to the sands and Viperish Night looks down at him. Flashes of memories, savage fury. He feels his control slipping. He should regain control, he knows he should. But he just does not want to and Viperish Night howls and sets upon Murder, tearing him bloody ruin until Titumus pulls him off of the Argonian. "Viperish Night!" Titumus snaps. "You are here and now, get control of yourself!"  
Viperish Night pants, briefly closing his eyes. "..." he hisses softly. "I..." Thjonwulf is shouting something about their victory, about his savage brutality. The world spins briefly and Viperish Night angrily pushes the feeling away. With a growl he stalks to the pit, leaving Titumus staring after him before he heads to the infirmary.

That night after all the fights are done and the gladiators are given leave to return to their bunks, Viperish Night finds himself at his bedroom window, looking up at the moons. Rishima is no longer in his dreams, the last time he dreamed of her soft fur and gentle sad eyes was a month ago. The violence of this life is steadily erasing the gentleness of that part of his life. The feel of her gentle touch upon his scales is nearly gone. He can scarcely remember it. Viperish Night closes eyes and shudders softly. "Will I forget you utterly, my River?" he softly whispers, hand on his heart. At least the agony that has plagued him since her death has eased with each fight.  
A soft knock at the door causes Viperish Night to open his eyes. "Come in," he says.  
Titumus comes in, both arms bandaged. He closes the door and leans against it, regarding Viperish Night. "Viperish Night... you drown your pain in blood," he states.  
Viperish Night turns his head to regard Titumus. "The agony was unbearable." he finally says. "Anything that eases it is worth swimming in."  
Titumus's eyes focus on something far away. "Agony... I know it too. Serving one's empire all your life only to have them betray and take everything from you. My men dead, because I challenged them, turned traitor when they turned traitor against the people."  
"Then you must understand!" Viperish Night snarls.  
"How one deals with it matters," Titumus says. "The way you are dealing with it will destroy who you are."  
Viperish Night turns his head back to the moons, leaning his head against the bars. He knows Titumus speaks truth. What is left of him that is the innocent viper, the gentle and loving viper is slowly being drowned in a sea of icy blood. "I know," he says simply.  
"We can help you, Viperish Night," Titumus says. "You just have to let us."  
Viperish Night hisses. "Help," he says angrily. "Damn you, just let this life destroy that part of me then." he glares up at the moons. "That Viperish Night is weak. All he did was fail. All he did was lose everything over and over again. I do not want to hurt anymore! I...I do not want to be so weak I cannot even protect that which is most precious to me! This world..." he trails and turns to Titumus. He cannot speak the last part, but it must be in his eyes for Titumus stiffens.  
"Do you mean that." Titumus asks.  
Clouds stream over the moons, casting the room into darkness. "I do not know." Viperish Night whispers. The river inside of him... the icy dark that pulls at him. It overshadows the light now, just as the clouds overshadow the moons.  
Titumus puts his hand on Viperish Night's shoulder. "Think about it. We will help you. You just have to want us too, Viperish Night." Titumus turns and leaves Viperish Night to his thoughts.  
Viperish Night sighs softly and lies down, watching the shadows crawl across the wall. It's so hard to fight the river. His light had died and all is in shadows. Why should he reach for a light that is beyond his grasp? 

Sleep does not come easily to Viperish Night that night, Titumus's words echoing through his head. Finally, he gives up on sleep and rises, walking from his room to stand by Za'gh's door, which he taps with one claw, not wanting to wake him if he is deep in slumber. But Za'gh opens the door and lets him in. Viperish Night sits cross legged on the ground as he regards Za'gh. He remembers the worlds Za'gh had spoken to him months ago. "They help you." Viperish Night finally says. "But you still wish...?"  
Za'gh rumbles a laugh and sits across from Viperish Night. "They remind Za'gh what it is like to be normal," Za'gh says. "They show this one a better path even if Za'gh can only see and not travel. It keeps... Za'gh's bad thoughts away a little." It is not an answer and Viperish Night waits until Za'gh speaks again. "Yes. This one knows it is wrong. But this one cannot seem to help it. Zan'tabe, Titumus, and the others ground this one."  
Viperish Night looks down, regarding an ant as it crawls along the floor. It reminds him of how he was before. How he loved to explore the world and reach out to the creatures in it. How could he have changed so very much?  
"They seek to help you to," Za'gh says. "This one wondered when Titumus would speak with you. He has been watching your battles very intently."  
Viperish Night looks up at Za'gh. "He is strange for an Imperial." Viperish Night says.  
"Za'gh thinks so too. Imperials are tough, hard, unforgiving. But what his empire did to him, it broke something inside him. Watching over us helps. He can no longer watch over his soldiers, so he watches over us instead."  
Viperish Night slowly nods, then finally asks the question he just danced around. "Do I need help?" he asks.  
"Monsters recognize monsters. It is why you are here talking to Za'gh about this, and not Zan'tabe or one of the others." Za'gh says. "Za'gh knows blood-lust. What it is like to crave it...for this one, it is this cursed hunger. For you...your anger and hatred."  
Viperish Night swallows. The arena fights he has been in flashes through his mind. And at times...the things he dreams about that he wants to do to Rishima's murderers and Valsvis wake him up in a cold sweat. He is very glad he rarely ever sees him. He is in charge of punishment and security, but the gladiators so infrequently require punishment. "...And if I do not wish help?" he finally asks.  
Za'gh sits in thought for a few minutes before speaking. "You know monsters. You wish their blood. This one sees the way you look at Valsvis the rare times that vile worm crosses our path. Do you want to be like the monsters you would tear asunder?"  
Viperish Night abruptly gets up and heads to the door. "...I do not know." he hisses, the pain evident in his voice.  
"Za'gh envies you, Viperish Night. You have a choice. Not everyone is as lucky."  
"...I know." Viperish Night says and leaves, heading back to bed.

"The Grand Melee is here!" Thjonwulf cries out. "Due to circumstances we LAMENT, few challengers grace my gladiators this month. But will I deny you your entertainment!? NO!"  
All the gladiators are in the arena, standing in the sands. Za'gh stares at the crowd, Titumus stands arms crossed, Qa'Dar waving to the females, Zan'tabe bouncing back and forth, Rayrl and Israean speaking in low tones, Fernthorn baring her teeth at the crowd, Kigum-dar running a claw down his ax. Viperish Night is looking around, spine raised in alarm. This is not like any of the battles that came before. And yet, nothing was being brought into the arena for them to fight.  
At last, the gates all around them open, and five mages walk out onto the sands and start weaving with their staffs. Kigum-dar suddenly starts growling his fur rising. "The bastards are summoning Daedra!" his eyes are bright with rare anger. He starts towards the mages before Zan'tabe grips his shoulder to stop him.  
Viperish Night stares as the Mages open the portals. He remembers learning to do this in Bangkorai in what seems like a very long time ago now. He never used the summoning ritual though. The Daedra....was unsettling. The encounters he had had with them had always left him feeling very uneasy. Viperish Night slowly starts to hiss. There would be a lot of them, so very much Daedra blood. Enough perhaps to drown out the thoughts that plague him since last night.  
Titumus stares at the portals with a cold look in his eyes. "Stay together. Follow orders." he barks at the others. "We won't fall to a bunch of miserable Daedra will we?"  
"Want to eat them! Wait..." Fernthorn stops. "Can not eat Daedra." she sighs. "I forgot why."  
"See my gladiators battle a legion of Daedra!" Thjonwulf gleefully yells. "The Daedra have NO chance! DROWN THE SANDS WITH THEIR BLOOD MY GLADIATORS!"  
The Daedra start to pour out of the portals, first a wave of Banekin with fireballs already erupting from their tiny claws, followed by Clannifear snarling with their eerie cry. Several winged twilight's flies out, followed by three snarling Daedroth and lastly a Spider Daedra.  
"Qa'Dar and Za'gh. Take out the Winged Twilights." Titumus orders. "Rayrl and Israean take out the spider as fast as possible. I, Kigum-dar, and Zan'tabe will take on the Daedroth. Viperish Night and Fernthorn, take on the Banekin and Clannifear, and then help the others. " Kigum-dar snarls and races at the Daedroth with little regard in waiting for Titumus and Zan'tabe. "Damn it," Titumus says, racing into the fray, the plan gone to Oblivion.  
Kigum-dar plows through the banekin, his ax, and claws slicing through them, Daedra ichor coating the ground as he races on. Leaping up he snaps his jaws on one of the winged twilights, dragging her to the ground and savaging her. The other two dive-bomb him, but Qa'Dar is there, somersaulting in the air to land on one with all four claws digging in. The two crash to the ground and are a tangle of claws wings and fangs. Titumus's blade slices through the remaining winged twilight, and he quickly ends it. "Kigum-Dar! Get ahold of yourself. You are here, not there." he orders.  
Kigum-dar pauses, staring through Titumus. "I..." he trails off and roars, breaking from Qa'Dar and Titumus to head toward the Daedroth.  
The three Daedroth charges at Zan'tabe. Zan'tabe sidesteps one, kicking it into the sand then nearly leaps away from a fireball. "Zan'tabe could use help here!" he yells, and leaps upon the third Daedroth's head, digging his claws into its eyes causing it to scream and thrash madly. Za'gh swoops in front of the Daedroth, sinking his claws into its belly and starting to tear into it.  
Fernthorn's whip curls around a clannfear, she snaps its neck and sends it crashing into a group of banekin. "Go go!" She shouts to Viperish Night. "Play with the big crocodiles, alright? I got the little ones." she laughs maniacally and dives into the banekin and clannfear in wild abandon.  
Viperish Night drops the banekin in his claws to the ground and slashes at the few around him with his tail before he runs to help Zan'tabe. He dives under a fireball rolls under one of the Daedroth, then scampers up its back and starts to shred it with his claws.  
Kigum-dar races into the daedroth, slamming into the final one with such force both crash to the ground. He roars in madding rage and starts to hack with it, not even trying to dodge its claws as it fights back. The daedroth roars and headbutts in, sending him crashing hard into the sands. Its prey winded the daedroth stalks in for the kill. Viperish Night pauses his eyes focusing on Kigum-dar. Not again... Viperish Night howls and leaps from the daedroth's head, crashing into the one ready to end Kigum-dar. The daedroth throws him off and opens its mouth, fire coming to life within. Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he hisses. "You will not kill him. I am no longer weak!" he dodges under the fireball and leaps up, his jaws locking onto the daedroth's neck. Kigum-dar rises and joins Viperish Night in bringing the mighty Daedra down for good.  
The sounds of battle die down and Kigum-dar blinks and looks around coming out of his berserk fury. His eyes are full of fear as his eyes search for each one of his fellow gladiators.  
Za'gh and Zan'tabe are by their fallen daedroth, Titumus is near having finished off the remaining one, though a fireball burned his leg slightly. Rayrl and Israean are cleaning off spider ichor from their swords and Fernthorn is standing amidst a pile of banekin and clannfear small cuts on her arms.  
"My gladiators are UNMATCHED!" Thjonwulf cries as the crowd goes wild. "The month's games are over, but there is always next month!"

After the gladiators have gotten treatment, they rest in the dining hall. Kigum-dar stands against the wall, arms crossed and head down. "Kigum-dar begs your forgiveness," he says. "This one is a warrior and knows how to follow orders and fight with my comrades. Kigum-dar's memories blinded him on this day. Anyone of you could have fallen. It would be Kigum-dar's fault."  
Titumus gets up and walks to Kigum-Dar. "Memories betray us," he says. "Not once have they had us fight Daedra. You had no chance to deal with it beforehand. None of us fault you for that."  
Zan'tabe strolls up and leans against the wall with Kigum-Dar. "Zan'tabe says we are the best. Even when half-crazed!"  
Kigum-dar raises his head, his eyes focused on Viperish Night, and he walks to him. "This one owes you his life."  
Viperish Night rises and looks at Kigum-dar. Despite his efforts, he has grown close to his fellow gladiators. It confuses him at times. Sometimes it's the roar of battle and blood drowning everything out. Other times the memories that claw at his heart. What Titumus and he had talked about last night swirls in the river. Viperish Night finds himself a little confused, but he knows one thing. He was strong enough to save Kigum-dar. Without magic, without anything but his claws and fangs and perhaps the darkness within him a little too. He smiles, just a little. "You owe me nothing." Viperish Night hisses softly as Kigum-Dar grasps his arm.  
Fernthorn looks a little confused and she looks at Za'gh. "Did he just...smile?" she says. "It's hard to tell with Argonian's. And Viperish Night never does anything like that."  
Za'gh pats the Bosmer on the shoulder. "Even if one fights companionship, it forces itself upon us. Za'gh was like Viperish Night. Not wanting anyone to get close to him. Za'gh was sure he'd kill you all by the second night. Even with the binding cuff."  
Zan'tabe and Titumus share a hopeful look. Rayrl and Israean discuss how they hate spiders, and Qa'Dar starts talking about how perfectly pretty Altmer ladies are.

Later that night Viperish Night halts and looks back at Titumus, who's standing outside his room arms crossed. "You can be strong, Viperish Night," he says. "And still have companionship with us. This is not something you have to choose between. And you can be strong without losing yourself."  
Viperish Night stares at Titumus. "...You put too many thoughts in my head." he hisses.  
Titumus just smiles at that. "Good." he walks into his room leaving Viperish Night staring after him.  
Finally, he shakes his head and heads into his room, to look up at the night sky. Just when he thought all the light was gone, it starts to show up again and tug on his tail. Tug him away from darkness. With a sigh, he leans his head against the bars. "I still do not know what I want, my river," he says softly. "It's so much easier to not think, to drown in the blood. But...that silly Imperial puts thoughts into my head." He stays that way for long hours, before falling asleep.


	26. Act 2 - Monstrous Fury

Trying is harder than not trying. Viperish Night thinks as he stands at his room window. He has been trying all this time to step back from the edge of an endless abyss of icy dark. It was easier in that river. Feelings did not get in the way, the pain hurt less. But outside, it was much harder. Memories tugged him in different directions. Friendship with his fellow gladiators brought forth the fear he would fail them, lose them. But... he still was trying. Trying to let them help him. And so...he had stepped back from the abyss. And when in the arena... it was a struggle to keep that something else that took a hold of him from claiming him completely. But he had slowly started to reign in the savage fury. Learned to rely on his fellow gladiators, their advice, and expertise. And so this was how life had passed for the past months.  
The clouds part and the moons shine their light down upon Viperish Night. He raises his head letting the moon's rays caress his scales. "My river," he says softly, sadly. It had been a little over a year since he lost her and very nearly lost his mind. Training most days. Arena fights every month for the amusement of others. Viperish Night's eyes narrow slightly at the thought. As Za'gh had said bad thoughts. They crept in all too often.

At Training Viperish Night feels Thjonwulf's eyes upon him. Thjonwulf seemed oddly focused on him lately. Was it because he kept refusing any kind of rewards? Thjonwulf had promised him...something. But when nothing happened he dismissed it. He thought he might have known what it might have been. Something that now might very well send him into the abyss. The rage he still felt even if he was more in control of it. After training ends, Viperish Night walks to Zan'tabe. "He watches me always now." Viperish Night says quietly after Thjonwulf left.  
"This one notices," Zan'tabe says. "Zan'tabe is slightly uneasy about that."  
Titumus walks over. "Your not as savage in the arena, Viperish Night. It is why he bought you from Nelimar." He frowns.  
"But I am stronger." Viperish Night hisses. "Why should it matter how I kill who I am told to kill?"  
Za'gh looks over at the three. "Their eyes seek our monsters. They expect yours." he snarls. Za'gh abruptly leaps for the door, slamming it on the way out.  
"Zan'tabe will go," Zan'tabe says, charging after Za'gh.  
Titumus sighs, a troubled look in his eyes. "If Thjonwulf is unhappy he'll do something in an upcoming game. Be on your guard, Viperish Night."  
Fernthorn looks over, she had flopped on the ground after training. She had been oddly quiet for a few days. She sits up and leaves without saying a word for the others. Qa'Dar's ears perk up, and with a worried look, he hurries after her.  
Kigum-dar finishes up sparing with Israean and Rayrl, the three join the group. "Qa'Dar is going to regret going after her," he says.  
"Qa'Dar must like pain." Israean remarks.  
"Or trouble, brother," Rayrl says.  
Viperish Night stretches and his expression is thoughtful. "Everyone seems on edge," he says, a little confused. It's the first time he's seen so many troubled.  
The expression on Titumus's face darkens. "There have been no new gladiators here since you came Viperish Night. We have suffered no losses save for Tongue Bitter. And fewer people have come to the games, and the quality of challenges is less than it has been in previous times."  
"The Ebonheart pact is serious about cracking down on slavery then," Israean says. "I had no hopes it would hold together a year, much less this long." his expression is thoughtful.  
Rayrl suddenly throws her practice sword down. "They are not going to decent on this island and stop this brother!" she suddenly yells. "Believing in that is the same thing as believing in gods who never help who truly need it." Rayrl storms out and Israean quickly follows.  
"Belief gets shaken when your world collapses," Titumus says. "Rayrl no longer believes as strongly as her brother does. It is one of the few things they disagree upon."  
Viperish Night nods, though his thoughts are on the outside world. It seems like a lifetime ago. Sometimes it hardly seems to exist. He tilts his head, looking at Titumus with a question in his eyes.  
Titumus's brow furrows. "This island's location is tricky." he muses. "It sits in a volcanic zone, which is risky to travel through much less anything else. You have to know the safe routes, which are not just given out to anyone. And money is trading hands to keep this place off the map. Add to the fact anyone attempting to enforce outside order would have to bring a small army."  
Viperish Night opens his mouth to say something else, but a bloodcurdling scream from outside has them jumping to their feet and running outside, followed by Kigum-dar.  
The Orc guards have Fernthorn in a tight hold, she's thrashing in their grasp cursing and screaming. "Damn you just LET ME GO." she snarls.  
Another guard runs up with Valsvis and Titumus holds his hand to Viperish Night and Kigum-dar to wait. He approaches Valsvis, stopping a respectful distance from the Dunmer. "What did she do," Titumus asks.  
Valsvis's gaze briefly flickers to Viperish Night, then back to Titumus. "She managed to knock out a guard, tried to run," Valsvis says.  
Viperish Night hisses, his body tensing as his eyes lock onto Valsvis. He knew what Valsvis did to slaves who...did things like this from the mines. Kigum-dar quickly grips his arm. "Stay, Viperish Night" he whispers. "Thjonwulf will not let Valsvis do more than is strictly necessary."  
Another guard enters the area, Thjonwulf walking by his side. Thjonwulf walks up to Valsvis, and they move to the side talking quietly. Valsvis moves to the guards after, and they drag Fernthorn towards a cave nearby. Valsvis turns to look at Viperish Night, his eyes fill with unquestionable anger. he abruptly turns and walks off. Thjonwulf notices and walks over to Viperish Night. "Savage Argonian..." he says, then gestures to a guard. "Y'diar. My savage Argonian has been good. He's never seen what it means to be punished, let him visit with the wood elf." It almost sounded like a threat. Viperish Night's expression is puzzled as he goes with the guard. 

The cave winds down into the earth, the temperature rising as they descend. At the bottom, there is a pool of lava and a cage near it. Inside the cage is Fernthorn pacing in the cage like a trapped animal. Y'diar leaves him there, heading back into the tunnel. Viperish Night's eyes dart around. The lava and the cave bring back bad memories, but it's different than the box he had been thrown in at the mines. It's barred and there is water provided. Fernthorn stops pacing and grips the bars with her hands. The expression on her face is tortured. Viperish Night has never seen her like this. He walks forward and places one clawed hand against the bars. Fernthorn growls at him but then places her hand on the bars, her fingers curling around his claws. "You tell the others about this, I will eat your heart." she snarls.  
Viperish Night nods. "We keep each others secrets," he says. The gladiators decided to share or not to share. And who to share with. No one told another's secrets if promised not to.  
Fernthorn sighs. "I want to go home," she says. "To Valenwood." Fernthorn closes her eyes. "I just started thinking and lost my mind a little. I know I can not..."  
Viperish Night flashes back on his memories of Denros. Happy, hyper and so very young. He made the best show of it, but the desire for home was a river never sated in the blood of those who had a home to return to. "You never mentioned home before." Viperish Night softly says.  
"..." Fernthorn looks away. "My tribe was deep in the woods. We practiced the old ways and kept from outsiders. But times were changing and my tribe wanted to change. To accept the outside world, even if we had to lay down some of the old customs. I accepted this as did most of the rest of my tribe." She stops and shudders against the bars. "An Altmer came to look into what we had to trade. Or that is what he said he came for." She opens her eyes, they are filled with depths of anger. "During the night the rest came in cloaks and hoods. What they did to my tribe, my family. I can never forgive them!" Fernthorn lets go of Viperish Night's claw and paces. "I only learned later that they were worm cultists. That they had been harvesting souls... my village was an easy target. Isolated and far from help. Fernthorn stills, resting her head against the bars. "I ran. I planned to come back, pick them off one by one, but I ran into slavers. Why they had been so deep in the Valenwood I will never know."  
Revenge. Viperish Night thought. The urge to destroy those who took everything from you. Viperish Night feels an all to familiar pain. He has yet to finish his revenge and Fernthorn never even got to start hers. "How do you bear it?" he asks quietly. "I hardly could, but you seem..." he trails off.  
"Like a crazy vicious cannibalistic wood elf?" Fernthorn says. "To be anything else would destroy me." she looks at him. "I am what their darkest nightmares of Bosmer are. It keeps me together."  
"So you not really." Viperish Night says, tilting his head. He had thought that was what she was, she hides her true self where no one would ever find it.  
Fernthorn shrugs. "We did practice the old ways. But it's not like we had all that many enemies to feast upon. Wood Orc clashes for the most part." she frowns slightly. "I have only feasted on our enemies once before I was enslaved and brought here."  
"The other gladiators?" Viperish Night asks.  
"Titumus and Za'gh knows," Fernthorn says. "No one else." she glares at Viperish Night, then her expression softens just a little. "Threatening to eat you no longer will work, will it?"  
"I will not speak of this." Viperish Night says. He looks at the bars and starts to tug on them until Fernthorn pushes his claws away.  
"You know better. No escape." Fernthorn chides. "I'll calm down and be ready for the games this weekend. Now go, before the guard comes back." Viperish Night turns to go and Fernthorn sighs. "And tell that damn Khajiit not to sneak down here. He's done it before. He'll... just get in trouble. I... don't want him to get into trouble." Viperish Night turns to go and a growl from Fernthorn stops him. "Do NOT tell him that part!"  
Viperish Night nods and heads up. At the top Qa'Dar is crouched in the grass as the guard takes up position at the top. "She does not want you to sneak down there." Viperish Night says.  
Qa'Dar's tail droops and he gets up. "Qa'Dar should know that!" he looks longingly at the cave. "This one asks, is she alright? She gets into trouble sometimes."  
Viperish Night thinks back, Fernthorn was hardly what he thought she was. He glances at Qa'Dar, who seems bound and determined to charm any lovely lady he saw. But with Fernthorn his expression and behavior were different. He saw her differently than other women. But did he see her mask or deeper? It was not something he would ask, for he would not betray Fernthorn's trust. "She's fine. Just decided on an Orc snack. The Orc disagreed."  
Qa'Dar perks up. "That sounds like her! She'll be out soon. Qa'Dar supposes he does not need to sneak in. For now!"

Later that night Viperish Night sits with Titumus before the others can arrive at the dining hall. "I do not like lava." Viperish Night says with a hiss. "Or small cages." Viperish Night tilts his head. "Fernthorn... I did not know her truth." he quietly says.  
"So she told you," Titumus said. "As I told you, we all have ways of dealing with this life. Hers is to pretend to be a monster. Even to her friends."  
"I understand." Viperish Night said. He falls silent and his eyes slide to Titumus. "Worm Cultists. Necromancers." he finally says. "I have been many places. Heard many stories. Necromancers only cause suffering."  
"Knowledge is tempting as is power," Titumus says. "Mortals are not meant to have that kind of power over life and death. When they decide to chase after the dark power it tends to consume them."  
Viperish Night lets out a breath. He remembers still what it was like to wield it. The power that flowed through him like ice, that swept away all right and wrong. That made the monstrous seem like the right thing to do. "I know..." Viperish Night says.  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says. "If you are ever free, remember what you just said about suffering. Do not turn towards necromancy again."  
Viperish Night looks away. It's not a promise he thinks he can make. It's harder for him since the necromancy is not something sought, but something innate. But that is a secret he never shared with his fellow gladiators. The truth about his magic, both sides of it. It was barred from him, so did it matter? And the truth is, he still had no idea why he was born like this. He starts to speak, to promise that he at least will try, but at that moment Zan'tabe walks in and makes a beeline for them.  
"Whoever is paired with Za'gh this weekend needs to watch over him," Zan'tabe says. "He is very angry and nearly at his limit. If the fights were not so soon, Zan'tabe could calm and ground him more. Damn it, if only he did not have to fight"  
Titumus rises. "It is Thjonwulf's rule, to have all his gladiators fight. And he has decided to choose the pairings himself. I will at least try to talk to him. Though it likely will do no good." he walks out to find Thjonwulf. 

Titumus visits with Viperish Night the night before the games. "I could not get Thjonwulf to bend on staying Za'gh this month, nor would he pair me with him. There is a special match at the end, and he intends both his monsters to fight it."  
Viperish Night flexes his claws. "I will watch over him." Viperish Night says.  
"I know you will," Titumus says, and heads off to bed.  
Viperish Night walks to the window. Monster... Savage Argonian... is that why Thjonwulf's attention was so focused on him? Because he was taming his savage anger? Was he...angry? Viperish Night hisses and goes to bed, very unsettled.

The roar of the crowd, the final battle of the night. Za'gh paces agitated behind the gates and Viperish Night watches him with worry. Death seems to call out very strong this night and Viperish Night's spine prickles. He wishes he could help Za'gh, but his attempts to talk to the Khajiit were met only with snarls. Viperish Night touches the knives at his side with his claws, eyes the swords Za'gh wields. They both usually chose to forgo weapons, but Titumus had insisted on weapons this match.  
"The last match of the night belongs to the monsters! You know my monsters, My Savage Argonian and Fiend of the Shadows! Te'vil's monsters are from lands far, the ruthless Khajiit swordsman Nightscar and the crazed Bosmer slasher Shadegrowth!"  
The crowd roars as the gates open, and Za'gh races out before Viperish Night can so much take one step outside. He hisses and charges after Za'gh onto the sands. A massive Khajiit with long samurai swords has engaged Za'gh, who at least has enough sense still to withdraw his swords, engaging in unnatural speed with the Khajiit swordsman.  
The Bosmer is standing on the side, but as soon as he sees Viperish Night he runs straight for Viperish Night like a Daedra out of Oblivion. Wicked fast, far faster than Viperish Night had expected him to be. Viperish Night just manages to twist out of the way of the Bosmer's serrated knives, and in a second his knives are in his hands as the Bosmer spins around unnaturally fast and engages him with lightning-fast slashes and jabs that Viperish Night just manages to block. This Bosmer is a whirlwind of speed, and it is taking everything Viperish Night has to focus on blocking. How is he THIS fast? He has no chance to help Za'gh like this, and he hopes Za'gh can keep it together long enough to take out Nightscar. Viperish Night narrows his eyes and throws his thoughts and worries to the side, focusing totally on Shadegrowth, blades flying, crashing into metal, slashing into flesh. Both Viperish Night and Shadegrowth are soon bloody and they leap apart and circle, both looking for an opening for a final blow. Shadegrowth tenses, but before he can leap an agonizing shriek snaps their attention on Za'gh's and Nightscar's battle.  
Nightscar is covered in crimson red, his blood dripping and splattering to the sands as he breaths hard from his numerous wounds. But Za'gh is the one who screamed. One of Nightscar's blade has severed Za'gh's arm at shoulder length and its gushing blood upon the sand. Za'gh's head is down, but suddenly he snaps it up, his gaze on Nightscar. Za'gh's eyes shine with unholy crimson light and in a blur of impossible speed, he is on Nightscar savaging his throat.  
Shadegrowth snaps back onto the fight and leaps at Viperish Night with both blades swinging down. Viperish Night dodges and hits the ground hard. He leaps up snarling. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong, but this damn Bosmer is in his way. He has to get to Za'gh, he has to get to him NOW. Shadegrowth comes at him again and Viperish Night once more dodges and then twists and slams into Shadegrowth sending the Bosmer crashing to the ground.  
Za'gh howls after devouring Nightscar's blood and the sound makes Viperish Night's scales stand up, but the Bosmer is up again. Viperish Night snarls, he has no time for this! Viperish Night moves to the side then races right at Shadegrowth surprising him. He slams his head into Shadegrowth's, and the Bosmer crashes to the ground and does not rise again. Not dead, but good enough.  
Viperish Night turns to Za'gh. Nightscar's blood stains his fur and Za'gh is staring at the crowd with bloodthirsty murderous desire. An Orc guard is staring right back, and suddenly the Orc grabs one of the Dunmer spectators and throws him into the arena. The Dunmer hits the sands hard. Za'gh snatches the Dunmer up and sinks his fangs into his throat before he can even scream.  
Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock. And then it dawns on him. The arm Nightscar had cut off was the one with the control band on it. Za'gh's full vampiric nature has been unleashed and he's utterly lost in a tide of hatred and blood-lust. Viperish Night knows he has to stop this, somehow knock out Za'gh before...  
Viperish Night's eyes snap to Thjonwulf, who's rushing down. Viperish Night starts to move to Za'gh but a unearthy growl freezes him in his tracks. The Bosmer is already back up and Viperish Night turns just as a dark brown furry creature slams into him, claws sinking into his sides as both crashes down to the sands. Viperish Night hisses as he stares at Shadegrowth, who has shifted into a werewolf. Viperish Night snarls and the two roll, each other claws cutting into each other and blood staining the sands. Shadegrowth howls and clamps his jaws on Viperish Night's shoulder and Viperish Night screams as the werewolf savages it. No...he cannot fall here. Viperish Night can hear Za'gh's roars, screams as more spectators are thrown, Thjonwulf's angry commands to an unhearing Za'gh. Viperish Night's eyes go icy cold and as Shadegrowth savages his shoulder he thrusts his claws up into the werewolf's chest past the ribs and straight into the heart. Shadegrowth shudders, jaws loosen and he falls off of Viperish Night, dead in the sands.  
Viperish Night staggers up and turns to Za'gh. Thjonwulf has shifted and is coming at Za'gh. Almost too late. Almost. Viperish Night leaps across the sands to stand in front of Za'gh. He stares at Thjonwulf, blood pouring from his shoulder. "Leave him alone." Viperish Night says.  
"Back down!" Thjonwulf growls. "He must be put down!"  
"No." Viperish Night growls. He cannot win against Thjonwulf but he will not let Za'gh be slaughtered like a rabid beast either. Thjonwulf snarls, bracing his feet, getting ready to charge both.  
"No, Viperish Night." Viperish Night turns his head, Za'gh has regained control, but it's a losing battle. His eyes are wild and nearly utterly lost. "Let him. I...cannot keep the monster back any longer. This one is tired of fighting. Tired of seeing his family's bodies, knowing he is responsible over and over, every time this one's eyes close."  
Viperish Night stares at Za'gh, anguished. He cannot...How can he let this happen? But Za'gh takes the choice from him by suddenly surging forward, throwing Viperish Night down and leaping onto Thjonwulf. Thjonwulf's claws fly through the air and Za'gh does nothing to block it, letting Thjonwulf's claws rend him into so much ruined flesh. Za'gh drops, the sight starting to fade from his eyes. Viperish Night staggers to his side, kneeling in the bloody sands by him.  
"Hate them." Za'gh whispers. "All they want is this one to be a monster. To die a monster. They...should die. Za'gh should not...think...this...but..."  
"They are monsters." Viperish Night whispers.  
"Yes...." Za'gh says as the last light fades from his eyes.  
Thjonwulf shifts back barking orders at the guards to get the crowd out of here, those who did not flee or get killed anyways. Viperish Night staggers up, eyes staring at Za'gh. Thjonwulf looks at him and snarls at another guard. "Get a damn mage too. He's been bitten." The guard scurries off and Thjonwulf pushes Viperish Night to one of the gates. "Go to the infirmary, NOW." he snaps, and Viperish Night gives Za'gh one last look before leaving in shock. 

Mosien fusses over Viperish Night, cleaning his wounds with a worried air. "Werewolf bites. Werewolf bites are not a good thing! Why did Thjonwulf allow one in his games?" Mosien's words wash over Viperish Night, his head is down. He tried to save Za'gh, but Za'gh finally decided to end his suffering. My river... Viperish Night thinks. Try to guide him to The Sands Behind the Stars.  
Thjonwulf stalks in with a Dunmer mage trailing behind him. Viperish Night raises his head a little, suddenly confused. Thjonwulf has no use for healing his gladiators with magic. Why bring one in now?  
Upon seeing Viperish Night's confused look Mosien gulps. "This one thinks Viperish Night is unaware werewolves are infectious," Mosien says.  
Thjonwulf growls. "Quickly, Dovydyn. I have more than enough problems this night to take care of."  
"Back off." Dovydyn orders Mosien, who steps back head lowered. Dovydyn takes out a crystal and circles Viperish Night, examining him and moving the crystal around him. His expression grows more and more puzzled and he finally puts the crystal away and turns to Thjonwulf. "No infection," he says. "I do not know how, but he will not turn."  
"Go," Thjonwulf says, dismissing the mage. Dovydyn nods stiffly and walks out.  
Viperish Night raises his head, his eyes lock on Thjonwulf. He should not be looking at him this way, but Za'gh... Viperish Night starts to hiss.  
Thjonwulf growls, his eyes flashing gold for a brief second. "Do not challenge me," Thjonwulf warns.  
Mosien moves behind Viperish Night, placing a paw on his back. "Mosien says angry werewolves are not a thing to challenge, and you are injured."  
Viperish Night at last breaks the stare, lowing his head.  
Thjonwulf growls once more then stalks off to finish doing damage control for the utter disaster this night wrought.

Viperish Night limps into the dining hall. Everyone is there, silent. Viperish Night takes his place at the table, head down and fists clenched.  
"There was nothing you could do," Zan'tabe says. "If it had been anyone else, the result would be the same. Za'gh..." Zan'tabe sighs.  
"His demons consumed him," Titumus says. "It was a matter of time. We kept him himself as long as we could."  
Israean grasps his sister's hand. "May he find his way to the Sands Behind the Stars and not to darker paths."  
Fernthorn is sitting on the table, and she traces her fingernails across it looking lost. Qa'Dar climbs up beside her and she glares at him. "Qa'Dar is lonely over there," Qa'Dar says. "Za'gh, Kigum-dar, and Zan'tabe remind this one of my litter brothers. Now one's just... gone," he explains sadly.  
Fernthorn sighs. "Fine." She suddenly leans against Qa'dar. "Might still eat you later though," she mutters. "Just feeling out the best parts to eat."  
"We will remember Za'gh," Kigum-dar says. "Not as the monster, but as the friend he was."  
Long minutes of silence pass before Fernthorn speaks again. "...is Viperish Night going to be furry?" Everyone just looks at her. "What?" she spits out.  
"Insensitive to the last," Israean says dryly. "I would not wish to fathom that fate."  
Titumus looks at Viperish Night. Viperish Night shakes his head. "I am uninfected. Perhaps immune."  
Qa'Dar tilts his head. "Are Argonian's naturally immune?"  
Viperish Night falls silent. It is not a question he knows the answer to. He was bitten and scratched so many times by the blood fiends he nearly died in Rivenspire, yet was not turned then either. How could he be immune to both? "I am immune to both vampirism and werewolves." he finally says. "Though I did not know the werewolf till now. I do not... know why." He rises. "I...am very tired," he says and walks out to his room. 

In his room Viperish Night stands at the window, willing the clouds to part. But what would seeing the moons do? All he would see is their cold light, and not what they hid behind them. He sighs and slumps to the floor, leaning against the wall, the memories of the night flashing through his head. Za'gh had gotten so very lost. Lost so utterly in the darkness and shadows he lost the light. And finally lost the will to fight for it. Viperish Night shakes slightly. The darkness stalks him to, and once he thought he was just as lost. But tonight, he saw he had not even been close to the depths of the abyss. Finally exhausted and hurting he slumps into a deep dreamless sleep.

~/~  
Titumus stands outside the training hall the next day with Thjonwulf, head respectfully down but fists clenched. "With respect Thjonwulf, it should not have happened!"  
"You question me? Do not Imperial, my temper is nonexistent today." Thjonwulf says a growl rumbling in his chest.  
Titumus is silent. Patient and waiting.  
"That bastard Te'vil." Thjonwulf finally growls. "He has had a grudge against me since you took down his champion, who had not lost for years. That damn Dunmer magicked the Khajiits blades and used a strange smelling plant to mask the Bosmer's wolf scent." Thjonwulf slams a fist against the wall. "Confidence in my games, my security has been shaken. I have enough to do, Imperial." he turns to go, but Titumus's next words stop him in his tracks.  
"It is strange that both the sword enchantment and the werewolf got past security. Past Valsvis." Titumus remarks.  
"What are you saying?" Thjonwulf angrily says.  
"Did Valsvis know Viperish Night was fighting in that match?" Titumus asks.  
"Enough! Titumus!" Thjonwulf snaps. "I will make the accusations, not you." he turns his head to look at Titumus. "I will keep a closer eye on Valsvis. I was unaware his anger toward Viperish Night was that strong. I cannot accuse a Dunmer without proper proof." Thjonwulf's eyes narrow. "You know that."  
"You also should not have had Za'gh fight," Titumus says. "You were one of us. You know what happens when a gladiator is unstable."  
"...He was always unstable." Thjonwulf growls. "I should have known a vampire gladiator even bound was a mistake. Now enough! I have things to fix." Thjonwulf stalks off.  
Titumus glances at the training room door then back at Thjonwulf. "Wait."  
Thjonwulf stops. "You try my non-existent patience."  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says. "Do not push him."  
Thjonwulf turns back and is on Titumus in a heartbeat, pushing him against the wall. "Slave, you forget your place!" Thjonwulf snarls. "Not another word!" he pushes Titumus to the side and stalks off.  
"Damn it to Oblivion..." Titumus says before heading into the training yard.  
~/~

That night Viperish Night is once more at the window. Everyone was subdued today, going through the motions as they grieved in their own ways. The rumble of thunder moves in as a thunderstorm covers the sky, distant flashes of lightning briefly illuminating the night. Viperish Night closes his eyes and sighs softly... He knew any of them could fall. Why he tried to keep his distance at first. Za'gh... a chill runs down his spine. Za'gh would have never become a monster had he not been lied to and betrayed. Viperish Night finally gives up on sleep and wanders the halls till he comes across Kigum-dar in the baths. He is sitting on the edge, his paws soaking in the warm water. Viperish Night sits by him, emerging his own feet. "Thoughts consume." Viperish Night admits to the quiet Khajiit.  
Kigum-dar nods. "To lose one of our own...and the way it happened."  
Viperish Night stares into the water. "I want him to be with his family. But the world is not that fair, is it?"  
"Jone and Jode." Kigum-dar muses. "The moons can be cold and far above mortal concerns." he falls silent before speaking again. "Kigum-dar still believes in them. It is the only way any of us will see our families again." Kigum-dar lowers his head. "Viperish Night, I do not speak of them. They are as far beyond this one's reach as if they were beyond the stars. My sun mote with fur as golden as the sun's rays. And our little one. He was so young when this one left them." Silence falls, the only answer to this kind of pain. Kigum-dar rises sometime later, placing a paw on Viperish Night's shoulder, and looks at him with a question in his eyes. A question Viperish Night can decide to answer, or not.  
Viperish Night sadly shakes his head. "I never had a family." Viperish Night whispers. "I would of never even known love, if not for Rishima."  
"Painful memories this night," Kigum-dar says. He gives Viperish Night a sad smile before heading to bed.  
Viperish Night stays, staring into the water. His face looks back at him. Why had he had no family? He sighs and lets himself sink into the water and finally, he falls into an uneasy sleep.

_The water swirls around Viperish Night and turns from hot to cold in an instant. Viperish Night's eyes bolt open and the water swirls violently and with a crash like the roar of thunder he's suddenly in midair falling. Viperish Night twists and lands on rock as the water cascades down around him. He rises, not surprised to see Stalks-in-Darkness standing before him. Once more the monstrous Argonian circles him, looking him over. "Not so weak, anymore." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses. "But still..." he tilts his head regarding Viperish Night. "You let the Imperial tame you. When will you learn to rely only on yourself and not others?"  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he snarls. He still thought perhaps Stalks-in-Darkness added to his nightmares that helped drag him to madness. And of course, he wanted Viperish Night to be what he wanted him to be. Just like Thjonwulf. "You should just leave me be." Viperish Night says. "Drowning in your kind of darkness... is easy. But I do not wish it.  
Stalks-in-Darkness laughs. "Do not wish it? Your lying to yourself, Viperish Night. You have had a taste of it. Sheer brutality and blood rage that can wash everything else away. The power that is within your grasp...and as always, you try to turn your back on it."  
Stalks-in-Darkness's words fill Viperish Night with dread. He has finally seen the depths of the abyss when Za'gh succumbed to it. The icy river would take him there and drown him in it, and what swam out... Viperish Night hisses.  
"Nothing to say?" Stalks-in-Darkness taunts. "Try it your way then. See how long you can hold on with blood and death so very close to you."  
Trying, holding on. Fighting. There have been very few periods of peace in the war waged within him. Viperish Night looks down. What would happen if he failed? If it lost his hold? Za'gh gave up on the war, could he last any longer? Viperish Night closes his eyes. He opens his mouth to tell Stalks-in-Darkness to leave him alone, but a thought pauses him and he slowly opens his eyes and raises his head. Why? Why does this Argonian always torment him? Viperish Night looks closer at Stalks-in-Darkness than he ever has before. A thought is forming, one he does not like. "Stop circling!" he suddenly snarls.  
Stalks-in-Darkness stops in front of him. "You dare order me?" he says. His eyes seem to glow in the dim light.  
Viperish Night gulps. Always, even now this monster makes his spine quake in fear. But he will not back down again. He wants to know why this monster is tormenting him. Why he wants Viperish Night to plunge into icy darkness. But... he also wants to know something else. Talking to Kigum-dar before sleep...hearing the Khajiit speak of family. It's not something Viperish Night has ever known. Had he even questioned why his egg was abandoned in another tribe's nest and why out of all the Argonian's in the world THIS one is the one that contacted him? "Are you my..." Viperish Night trails off unable to finish.  
Stalks-in-Darkness regards Viperish Night and suddenly he's so much closer to him. "That is not what I expected you to ask." he hisses. "You want to know THAT?"  
Viperish Night stumbles backward startled then narrows his eyes. "Yes," he says, though a feeling of dread penetrates his spine. Should he of asked this?  
Stalks-in-Darkness laughs. "This is the only thing I will tell you now about this subject," he says. "Your egg-parents were culpable in this."  
The world spins around Viperish Night. The answer was worded strangely but what it implied... "Your lying!" he snarls.  
"You think all parents want children? Stalks-in-Darkness says. "Foolish thoughts. You know the world to be colder than that."  
The world around Viperish Night goes black and the last thing he sees is Stalks-in-Darkness's glowing eyes mocking him._

Viperish Night wakes, surging out of the bath. He stays there on his hands and knees till his heart stops racing. "Lying." Viperish Night hisses. "He has to be." Viperish Night staggers up and looks at the bath as the water settles, showing him his face once more. Did his egg-parents really just abandon him? Perhaps they could feel he was not a normal Argonian. "Does not matter," he whispers as he gets up. He can hear the others starting to wake, doors opening, and voices talking. The day has started. He will not think of this again. He cannot. There are already too many thoughts in his river that drag him down toward the abyss. He glances once more into the water before turning to face another day. He will not let himself drown... he will keep fighting. Somehow.


	27. Act 2 - Downtime Depression

The news leaves everyone speechless. The gladiators sit at the dining room table in a small amount of shock. "This has never happened before?" Viperish Night asks.  
"Once, the games were postponed due to a hurricane," Kigum-dar says.  
"Never once for longer than a few days," Zan'tabe says. "Two months is... it is just not done!"  
"No spectators ever got eaten before," Fernthorn says. "Much to my eternal disappointment." she chews on a chicken leg for a few moments before quietly muttering, "Would of rather not seen them eaten that way..."  
"That's my Fernthorn!" Qa'Dar says with a purr.  
Fernthorn glares at Qa'Dar and throws the chicken bone at his head. "Silly cat. I am no one's Fernthorn."  
"Ow..." Qa'Dar said. "An arrow to this one's heart!"  
Titumus's expression darkens. "The games in two months will not be business as usual. Thjonwulf will have something special planned. Something to bring back the frightened masses."  
"Mosien told me once that Thjonwulf held a special games. I forgot why. The game resulted in three of his gladiators being killed in one match." Israean says. "It brought disgrace upon him for some time."  
Zan'tabe glances at Titumus and gets up. "Zan'tabe will be bored. This one will lie in the sun until they lock the doors." he heads out leaving the rest to their dinner.  
Titumus gets up a few minutes later. "Do not slack on training," he says and walks out as well.  
Viperish Night's eyes follow Titumus, then turns back to Qa'Dar as he tries to woe Fernthorn with another chicken leg, she hisses and climbs the table to sit cross-legged glaring at him." 

~/~  
"Something happened with the last fight," Zan'tabe says as soon as Titumus joins him on the grass. "That was sloppy. Thjonwulf does not do sloppy."  
Titumus crosses his arms. "Your thoughts on Valsvis?"  
Zan'tabe hisses. "Little worm. I know the Dunmer think us so much lower than their high and mighty asses but with him, it's more like hate."  
"Viperish Night hates him as well," Titumus says. "We know a little of why Viperish Night feels that way, but not Valsvis."  
"Zan'tabe is thinking you suspect him of something," Zan'tabe says.  
"No proof," Titumus says. "And Thjonwulf has no proof, or he would have done something by now. You know he likes...playing with Dunmer when he can figure out how to do it without getting in trouble."  
"Why he hires the Dunmer troublemakers," Zan'tabe says. "He hired that one that got fired for improper behavior with the slaves. And then when he tried it here, Thjonwulf strung him up and let Ti'zsha at him." Zan'tabe laughs. "That was horrible. But amusing. So very amusing."  
"This will not end the same way," Titumus says.  
Zan'tabe stops laughing and his eyes shine with confusion. "What makes you think that?"  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says. "How deep does his hatred toward Valsvis go? And is Valsvis's hatred toward him personal or just race related?"  
"...Oh..." Zan'tabe says. "That does not sound good." he looks toward the setting sun. "Za'gh..." he sighs. "The depths of darkness in him was endless. He fought for so long against it."  
"The vampiric curse and his past was Za'gh's darkness," Titumus says. "Viperish Night's...part of it what has happened in his life."  
"And the other part?" Zan'tabe asks.  
"I am not sure." Titumus. "It very well could be a result of using necromancy. No one touched by that foul magic is ever the same after. But...I wonder."  
"There are many odd things about our friend," Zan'tabe says. "Zan'tabe will speak to him."  
~/~

That night as Viperish Night looks heads into his room, Zan'tabe stops him. "Zan'tabe would like a moment." Viperish Night turns to look at him and invites him in.  
Viperish Night sits on the floor cross-legged, looking up at Zan'tabe. He tilts his head. Such a serious expression on the Khajiit's face.  
Zan'tabe fidgets. "You look at this one too seriously. Zan'tabe does not like to pry. But...what is between you and Valsvis?"  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he hisses in anger. Not at Zan'tabe, but the name of the Dunmer. The memories. "Why?" he says. He has shared some with his fellow gladiators, friends. But there was little he spoke of regarding the time in the mines or the peaceful days with Rishima. The pain of thinking of them is still sometimes overwhelming.  
"He is someone to watch out for," Zan'tabe says. "If you do not wish to speak of it, you do not have to my friend. We look out for each other. If this Dunmer is any kind of threat, we have your back. It would help Zan'tabe if he knew why. Better to keep an eye on that Renrij scum."  
Viperish Night rises and moves to the window, his back on Zan'tabe. His claws grip the bars as he stares out at the night. He has seen the way Valsvis looks at him, even now. He's never understood the hatred Valsvis has towards him. "I do not know why he hates me." Viperish Night finally says.  
"Hmm.. was it because you ripped his pretty little Dunmer neck? He has quite the scars now."  
Viperish Night turns to look at Zan'tabe. "I meant to murder him," he says plainly. "I just missed." At Zan'tabe's slightly startled look he hisses. "He hated me before that."  
"Zan'tabe sees. And..." he trails off.  
Viperish Night turns from him. Why he hated Valsvis? He hisses louder. "He murdered our friend Denros." Viperish Night clenches the bars tighter. "Had his guards hold me back why he beat him to death. For an accident! Denros never meant to throw the guard into the lava." Viperish Night shakes. "And...he caught I and Rishima escaping. Threatened to hurt her. I took both our punishments...very nearly died." Viperish Night closes his eyes as the memories pour back. "He would have found ways to hurt both of us. Again and again... I had to submit to that monster to keep us safe." Viperish Night's eyes open and he turns to Zan'tabe, who steps back a bit by the sheer venom in his eyes. "You see why I want to murder him. As much as I tame that part of me, if I had a chance, I would kill him. And the Orcs as well."  
"Forgive me for asking," Zan'tabe says. "Zan'tabe and the others will watch out for him for you. But this one wishes to ask why have you not gone after him yet?"  
Viperish Night thinks back. To a promise made by Thjonwulf. Did he mean it? Would it ever actually happen? He tilts his head. "I can wait a little longer for vengeance," he says.  
"Zan'tabe says we would help you with it if we can," Zan'tabe growls.  
"Leave me for now." Viperish Night says, turning back to the window.  
Zan'tabe nods and gently shuts the door.  
Viperish Night stares at the window, memories, and thoughts swirling in his head. He had found his grip and was living as best he could. But since the last fight, it seemed as if the ground under him was starting to crumble. His claws clench and his eyes narrow. If this world sought to drown him...he hisses slightly.


	28. Act 2 - Demons to Rest

Viperish Night wakes, slowly rising and looking at the morning outside his window. It had been a strange time. Utterly calm, as if all of them had been put on vacation, save for the daily training. He had been tense all through the first month, certain something bad was going to happen, and then...nothing did. It had been like a vacation. And each weekend Thjonwulf had lead them to the arena and let loose beasts for them to fight. One time he let them loose on the grounds and let them hunt. Fernthorn had been beside herself with that, and she had not even protested to Qa'Dar hunting with her. And they still had two weeks before the next game. Viperish Night frowns a little as he thinks back to what Titumus had said. That the next games would be special. Viperish Night heads out to the dining hall for breakfast.

"Damn it!" Titumus says as he sits down with the others at breakfast. He places a piece of paper on the table.  
Zan'tabe snatches it up and reads it. "Oh, dear," Zan'tabe says.  
Qa'Dar snatches it next. "Huh? I do not get it." Fernthorn reads it over Qa'Dar's shoulder before he passes it to Rayrl and Israean. Kigum-dar leans over to glance at it.  
The only one not showing any interest in it is Viperish Night. He's lost in his thoughts and does not notice the excitement the paper is causing. Finally, he notices the silence and looks up to see everyone staring at him, and he tilts his head.  
"You don't know yet, do you?" Titumus says. "So Thjonwulf has not told you." Titumus's expression darkens.  
Bewildered Viperish Night shakes his head as Titumus hands him the paper. He reads it and his hand starts to shake as his heart beats faster. That night flashes back. The Orcs who murdered his Rishima. Hunting them down, murdering one, and maiming the others. The paper in hands, proclaiming a special arena match between the Savage Argonian and Shaglak and Yatob of Chief Yaturgol's house to take place on the final match of the weekend. Viperish Night's eyes rise to regard his friends. Zan'tabe and Titumus are concerned. The rest confused. He had only told Zan'tabe, Titumus, and Za'gh about that night. "...They are the ones who murdered my Rishima." Viperish Night says, anger and murderous rage reflecting in his eyes. "There was one other, but I murdered him."  
"Kill and eat them, Viperish Night." Fernthorn growls.  
"Viperish Night, caution. Justice is one thing, revenge another." Titumus says.  
Viperish Night hisses. "So I should NOT kill them, Titumus?"  
"You should," Titumus says. "In fact, Thjonwulf has made it so you must. But execute them clean. Do not lose yourself and rend them asunder."  
At Viperish Night's vicious hiss, Zan'tabe speaks. "Thjonwulf wants you to do that very thing. To unleash the Savage Argonian. You know what that costs my friend."  
The words blur and Viperish Night's eyes narrow. Memories slither through his heart. Old hatred simmering up for its slumber. Dizziness rocks him as faces flash through his mind. Those Orcs, Valsvis, Stalks-in-Darkness, his former mentor, the bloodthirsty crowd who thought them all slaves and monsters. He wants to drown them all in a sea of red. Viperish Night staggers up, pressing one clawed hand to his forehead, and starts to back away.  
Titumus rises. "Viperish Night, return to us." As Viperish Night's gaze focuses on him, he continues. "You can have vengeance without succumbing to the darkness. You must remember that."  
Viperish Night drops his arm and stops. "And if I want vengeance on Valsvis next? Thjonwulf? Those who cheer why we kill for them?" Everyone falls dead silent. Viperish Night tries to breathe. He had swum away from the darkness, reigned in the savage part of him...or so he thought. Za'gh's death, the worry Valsvis will try something, this.  
"It's... well it's not all right, but Zan'tabe is here for you. We all are."  
Viperish Night knows this now. He has learned it in the past year. But sometimes even that is not enough. Za'gh still lost his battle, despite it all. "I will try." he finally says. Always trying, slipping deeper in the icy water closer to the abyss then climbing back. He fears one time it will drag him under.  
"Extra training then," Titumus says. "Thjonwulf has you facing Shaglak and Yatob alone. We all have done training on how to fight two foes or more at once, but this will not be an easy fight. And only two weeks to prepare"  
"Win," Kigum-dar says, echoed by the rest of them. 

Viperish Night paces outside after training unable to still mind or body. Claws clench and unclench. Eyes focus on memories and nightmares past. Little time to prepare for this, little time to calm. Can he be calm? How can he be calm? He has waited for this day since the night he failed to murder all three of them. That night's memories remain so vivid, so agonizing when his mind travels back to them.  
Titumus walks out and moves in front of him and Viperish Night stops. "Too soon," he admits. Part of him is still shaken from the match over a month ago and there are too many thoughts in his head. Too much too soon. He just stares at Titumus, panic in his eyes mixing with the bloodthirsty desire for revenge.  
Titumus grips both of Viperish Night's arms. "Calm, breath," he says. "Thjonwulf knows this is too soon. He wants you to go berserk, he lost one monster and he knows Fernthorn is just pretending. You are his last true monster and he's on the verge of losing that."  
Viperish Night tries to calm, and slowly his heart slows. "Why does he want monsters so very badly?" he hisses.  
"It draws in the crowds," Titumus says. "And he is a monster too. Zuluk used him in the very same way he uses you and used Za'gh, even though he did not know a werewolf lurked under the beserk Nord skin."  
"Why..." Viperish Night says. "He is free, but why does he not return home?"  
Seeing that Viperish Night has calmed and is engaged, Titumus releases him. "Unlike Za'gh and you, Thjonwulf sought to be a monster. He drunk beast blood to become a werewolf and then proceeded to destroy his clan. On purpose or in blind hunger, that I do not know. Other clans hunted him down and thought they killed him. But Thjonwulf was just barely alive when the slavers found him."  
Viperish Night blinks. Why would someone wish to become a monster? Did the monsters he had known want to be that way, or did something happen along the way? "How do you know all this?" Viperish Night says.  
"Mosien," Titumus says. "They trained and fought together once. Both of them have been here longer than anyone else."  
Viperish Night's thoughts turn inward. "They seek power." he hisses. "Those who wish to be monsters."  
"Yes," Titumus says with a tired sigh. "Though for most, becoming a monster is not the intent, but the result. The desire for power has caused wars and countless atrocities and tragedies"  
"Titumus." Viperish Night says and continues when Titumus looks at him. "I understand seeking power for your own gain. But why would someone else push another to it?"  
Titumus studies him. "That is not easy to answer, Viperish Night," he says. "It could be to use that person for their gain."  
Viperish Night hisses softly. "To control, in other words."  
"Yes," Titumus says, his expression puzzled. "Viperish Night?"  
Control...but if that was the case, why would they push him so very hard to be stronger, to stand on his own. Viperish Night's expression darkens. "...It is another reason. Something deeper and darker that I cannot see," he says, more to himself than Titumus.  
Titumus frowns. "I am starting to think there is much you have kept to yourself."  
Viperish Night is silent. How could he ever fully explain? He does not even understand it himself. His life, his very existence seems like a twisted puzzle sometimes. He sighs and just shakes his head. "It does not matter, at any rate," he says. The two return inside for dinner after that. Viperish Night lost in thought.

For the next two weeks, Viperish Night trains against two of his fellow gladiators at a time, every day. Facing down two or more beasts, lesser Daedra or the like is not so difficult, but two highly trained fighters are something else entirely. The Orcs are not gladiators, but they are two of Chief Yaturgol's warriors. When Viperish Night fought them before, he had surprise on his side. That and icy dark rage allowed him to murder one, but the other two quickly got the better of him. He was...untrained then. Now though, he was so very much stronger.  
His emotions still pull him toward the dark. Part of him wants to dive in the icy dark and not just kill them, but make them suffer. Make them scream and beg for death. Trying to remember Titumus's words, that he can have both vengeance and stay himself is a struggle, and so near the end of the second week, he seeks out Rayrl and Israean.  
Rayrl and Israean are the two that are the most distant and quiet of the gladiators. Even after a year, Viperish Night did not know their truth and Rayrl had remained wary toward him. And yet, this day, Viperish Night finds them sitting in the grass together and he sits near them. "It was necromancers that destroyed your world," he says softly.  
Rayrl stiffens and Israean places a hand on her shoulder. "Viperish Night, why do you ask this of us?" he asks.  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. "I want to know the suffering necromancers cause. As much as I can. So if... so I always remember."  
"Did you not cause your own suffering when you practiced it?" Rayrl accuses.  
Viperish Night slowly opens his eyes and turns his head to regard her. "I did not think I did at the time. I never meant to, but I did inadvertently. And... I know now I must of directly to, in Bangkorai. The Imperials were not the monsters I was lead to believe."  
Rayrl's eyes flash in anger and Israean tightens his hold. "He admits it, Rayrl. He was lead down a dark path but turned from it and knows what he did was wrong."  
Rayrl regards Viperish Night the anger fading. "I forget all of us start innocent and pure. The paths we travel, we are responsible for what we do. Though we can be lead astray by forces beyond our control."  
"I know." Viperish Night says sadly. "My former mentor guided me, but I walked behind him willingly. To foolish and naive to see the truth until it was spelled out in blood in front of me."  
"Why ask this now?" Israean asks.  
"The icy river inside of me." Viperish Night admits. "Even without the touch of my magic it still tries to drag me under, into the abyss."  
"You wish our stories," Israean says. "To know the suffering your kind of magic causes in hopes it will give you the wisdom to avoid the darker path."  
Viperish Night nods. "Forgive me for asking you."  
"No one ever has," Rayrl says. "We make it clear our past is for us, and us alone." she sighs. "But..." she looks at her brother. "I cannot bear to speak the words, Brother."  
Israean closes his eyes, journeying back to the most painful of memories. "An unearthly sound in the night. Before we knew it our family's farm was beset by the dead. I and my sister wanted to fight even if it meant dishonor, but our parents held us back. Prayed to our gods and sent word to the Ash'abah to aid us. They said we could hold out. But the necromancers called Daedra down upon us as well and all was lost. I and my sister would have been as well had our father not locked us in the small storage area. It was hardly big enough for two grown adults, much less anyone else. Our family sacrificed themselves for us."  
"Yes, they did," Rayrl says. "We will always honor them for that. But..." her eyes fill with anger. "The gods forsook us that night."  
Israean opens his eyes and looks at his sister with sadness. "I believe they saved us, but when captured by slavers on patrol, even I wonder at times."  
Viperish Night is silent, shaken. All these truths about necromancers are full of sorrow and suffering. Not one good thing has ever come from necromancy. Viperish Night stands. "I understand," he says. "I will remember." he turns and leaves the two to their sorrow, his heart beating faster. The truths his former mentor hid from him. He had only scratched the surface of the horror of necromancy when he started to look closer at it in Alik'r Desert. Now, he thought perhaps he knew the depths of it. Power beyond any mortals should have, power that could break the world itself. The amount of suffering it caused was horrific. He has to keep fighting the icy river that calls to him. He has to fight as Titumus has cautioned him, not as his hate and rage wanted him to fight. 

The night before the second night of the games, Viperish Night is lying in bed trying to sleep. His thoughts consume him, rapids that toss him in every direction. He has found a way to grip the rocks to avoid plunging over. But it is hardly the first time he has found grip only to lose it and plunge closer to the abyss. It has been the living breathing beating hearts of those who had accepted him that is his rocks, his hold. And the world keeps taking them from him, leaving him more and more broken and closer to the abyss. Stalks-in-Darkness could not be right that the only way was to stand on his own. On his own, the icy river threatened to drown him in darkness. The things he had done when in its grasp... Viperish Night's early days in the arena drift back to him. Fighting with such brutality and rage. Plunging headfirst into the icy river, using it to bury his feelings and agony. So much deeper did his actions then drag him. And then Titumus had offered him his hand, offered to drag him from the depths. He had almost refused. But Titumus never gave up on him, and neither did the others. Rocks he could grasp, even when one fell over the edge there was more. The horror, sorrow, and anger over Za'gh's fate still stung, but it did not make him lose his grip. And...neither should tomorrow. The urge to murder kill and maim. He would not focus on those. Instead, he would focus on what Titumus said. Justice. Rishima's murderers would face it and he would deliver it. Not the way Thjonwulf wanted him to, but the way that would not knock his claws from their grip.

~/~  
Late that night Titumus wakes and paces in his room. Sleep has shaken him, old memories brought back to the surface. He sighs and rubs his head. He's worried for Viperish Night and he shakes his head a little. "To think I'd be mentoring a former necromancer," he says quietly to himself. Though Viperish Night never seemed like a necromancer. A broken man on the edge of darkness and madness yes, but not like those horrors. And he had come so far since then. If he took Titumus's advice tomorrow, perhaps he could at last lay some of his demons to rest. Titumus looks back at his bed. He will not be using it for the remainder of the night. The dreams of the past were so vivid. They snuck up on him at times, when he was worried or stressed. That day the Zero Legion came from them. True traitors, sold everything for the power offered to them. They brought the Daedra, and they brought the necromancers. His men never had a chance, though they fought bravely to the very end.  
~/~

The stands are not as full as previous games, but fuller than anyone expected. Thjonwulf's promised special match had them streaming in, despite the last disastrous fight that left utter chaos in its wake and more than a few angry Dunmer. How Thjonwulf managed to placate them, only he knew. And perhaps they came back because they thought he would be humiliated again. Make a big show only to have his gladiators fail. The first night was the build-up, the gladiators fighting challengers from other lands, as usual, winning in total victory, again as usual. But the last match of the last night...is what they came for. 

Titumus is pacing in the pit and Zan'tabe is watching him. "How did Thjonwulf pull this off?" Zan'tabe says.  
"Lots and lots of gold." Qa'Dar answers. "Probably promised them tons of gold if they win."  
Zan'tabe rises and puts a paw on Titumus's shoulder. "Viperish Night will do fine. He'll take your advice." Titumus stops and stares out at the arena. "You guide us well, Titumus. Viperish Night saw reason in your words, this one knows it. He has come out of his bloodthirsty rage this year."  
"Even if he does, I doubt Thjonwulf will let him be," Titumus says.  
"One werewolf or the rest of us," Zan'tabe says with a laugh. "We can keep Viperish Night with us and out of the dark."  
Titumus is silent, thinking of Za'gh. Not everyone could be saved, but Viperish Night had come a long way since he first arrived half-mad and consumed with savage hatred and rage. He rubs his head.  
"Titumus?" Zan'tabe asks with concern.  
Titumus shakes his head. "I did not sleep well. Old memories tend to surface at times."

"This is the match you've waited for!!!" Thjonwulf cries. "A grudge match like no other! From the clan of Chief Yaturgol, two powerful warriors, Shaglak and Yatob! Facing both of them ALONE is my savage Argonian! These three have bad blood between them, so this will be a battle to remember!"

Viperish Night walks onto the sands head down. Time seems to slow down until every little thing is in crystal clarity. The sands between his clawed feet. The thunder of the crowd. The heavy feel of the twin Redguard blades Titumus had advised him to use in this fight against his sides. His heartbeat, thundering with barely concealed rage. Memories of his lost Rishima. She would not have wanted this. She would want him to stay gentle, as he was with her. But everything in him wanted to murder Shaglak and Yatob. That feeling had not died, had festered within him since that horrific night. But, Titumus's words are with him now. He can have justice for Rishima's murder, can have their lives, and still not be dragged into the abyss. It was how he took his vengeance that mattered. In control or lost in rage. It was the thinnest line, one he still was struggling with. But he knew what side he wanted to be on.  
Viperish Night raises his head, finally setting his sights on the two Orcs. Dressed in battle armor of their clan, armed with heavy deadly battle axes. The evidence of the damage he had wrought on them over a year ago is evident. The side of Shaglak's face is a scared ruin, an eye-patch where his right eye used to be before Viperish Night's claws took it and Yatob's shoulder, is scarred with fang marks, evident around the bands of the armor.  
The Orcs start circling on the sand, as does Viperish Night. Axes and swords are drawn as each side sizes each other up, the rage palpable in the air. Viperish Night breaths shallowly, his eyes following their every movement. Memories threaten his concentration, so he concentrates on the feel of the blades in his hands and the advice Titumus had given to him many months ago. Weapons could keep you centered, keep some of the savagery down. Though he longs to throw them into the sands, to leap upon these monsters with teeth and fangs and rip them asunder, he clenches tighter at his weapons. That way leads to ice and darkness. They have taken far too much from him, he will not let him take that as well.  
"Damn lizard!" Shaglak snarls. "You will pay for killing Motragdush and taking my eye!"  
"Finally Chief Yaturgol agreed to Thjonwulf's repeated requests," Yatob says. This is going to be fun. I did not get to gut you then lizard, but this time your guts will decorate the sands!"  
They continue to taunt him, trying to bait him. Fully expecting he will rush blindly at them in a fit of mad rage. If he had been alone in all of this, he would. The rage and pain were as sharp as it was that night. But he was not alone, he could almost sense the heartbeats of the other gladiators as they watched him, watched this fight that was so much more than a simple match. It was everything at this moment. And so he continues to circle them, as silent as a viper in the grass. When he does strike it is quick and unexpected.  
Viperish Night is a blur of speed as his blades slice into Shaglak's right side, cutting through armor and scrapping the ribs. Shaglak yells in rage and swings around, Viperish Night dodges out of the way of the ax swing and then leaps to the side as Yatob tries to take advantage and fails. Viperish Night dashes to the side, slicing Yatob's back with his blades, and then leaps back once more as both come at him with powerful ax swings. Viperish Night keeps fighting like this, a dance of quick strikes and quicker retreats. Not doing more than minor damage, but it's intentional. Rayrl and Israean had given him key advice. Orcs were rarely known for their even tempers. Anger them enough and they would be like a wild boar raging, making it far easier to take them on if you were outnumbered.  
And Shaglak and Yatob act just like predicted. Angry at the shallow wounds that sting, the fact neither of them had so much as scratched Viperish Night, the confusion at how calm he's acting rather than the rabid beast they expected. They roar in anger and charge at him from either side. Viperish Night dodges to the side and spins, knocking down Shaglak over with his tail. Yatob leaps forward his ax slices through the back of Viperish Night's armor slicing through his scales. Viperish Night hisses slightly and spins, his blades nearly taking Yatob's face off. Yatob snarls and leaps back stumbling. Shaglak is up and slams his ax down at Viperish Night. Viperish Night spins around and leaps toward Shaglak, the ax glancing off his shoulder. His right blade flashes across Shaglak's throat in a spray of blood and the ax falls from Shaglak's hand as he crashes to the sands, convulsing as his lifeblood coats the sands.  
Viperish Night turns toward Yatob and he gives the last remaining Orc a savage grin, his eyes shining. Yatob stumbles back before recovering. "Damn you to Malacath!!!!" Yatob screams and charges Viperish Night, his ax swinging wildly. Viperish Night charges, a blur of speed. Yatob's ax falls and Viperish Night's left blade blocks it why his right blade plunges deep into Yatob's chest. Yatob drops his ax and staggers back, a look of disbelief on his face. He falls backward landing hard on the ground. Viperish Night stands over Yatob as he dies. As the light starts to leave his eyes. Their deaths were far more merciful than they deserved. Yatob looks up at him. "Damn...you." he gurgles. "You idiot..." and with a last blood-soaked gasp he dies.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. His last words were to call him an idiot? A look of puzzlement crosses his face before the thundering roar of the crowd sweeps the confusion away. Viperish Night's eyes lock onto Thjonwulf's, the Nords eyes are focused on him, the gold of the monster and not the brown of the man. Viperish Night glares back then turns before it can be seen as a challenge and leaves the arena. 

Titumus is waiting for him and he locks eyes with Viperish Night. "I can have both." Viperish Night says. "Even though I wanted nothing more than to tear them to pieces, I did not." he tilts his head. The river inside of him feels calmer than it has in a long time. Some of the anger that at times threatened to consume him has drained.  
Titumus smiles and places his hand on Viperish Night's shoulder. "Never let others tell you what you should be, or drive you to places you do not wish to go," he says. "There is a better way. Even when the world seems against you."  
"Yes." Viperish Night says. "All of you have helped. Even when I tried to refuse it."  
"We are trapped in circumstances beyond our control," Titumus says. "Together we have a better chance of surviving this life without losing ourselves. We make up a unit. Perhaps even family. We will not give up on anyone that easily." he looks Viperish Night over. "You've learned to fight so well, so fast. You are a natural warrior."  
"You all taught me to be...strong." Viperish Night says. "In more than one way."  
The two head into the gladiator's quarters and the dining room, where everyone is waiting for them to celebrate.

Later that night Viperish Night looks up at the moons. "My river, your murderers are gone to their next life. I know you would not wish me to do this, but I had to. I just...did not have to do it in the way I thought I should." A strange sense of calm courses through him. He will never forget Rishima, but the pain is less now. To know the one's who killed her, took her from this world are no longer in it by his hands, is peace. He settles into bed, sleep falling over him swiftly.

~/~  
Mentor hits the scrying pool with his fist sending ripples coursing through it. He gets up and paces. Stalks-in-Darkness's eyes track his movement, his impatience. Mentor turns to Stalks-in-Darkness. "Let me do something!" he snarls.  
Stalks-in-Darkness snarls and smashes him to the ground with the back of his hand. "I grow weary of your impatience. And your constant questioning of me!" he hisses.  
Mentor stares up at Stalks-in-Darkness, hatred in his eyes. "Viperish Night has pulled back from the darkness again this past year and you have done nothing! Nothing but watch them!"  
Stalks-in-Darkness snatches mentor from the ground and slam him against the wall, his claws curled across his throat. "Are you done," he says. "Or do I need to punish you again?"  
Mentor stiffens, his fingers scratching against the wall. "..." he closes his eyes.  
Stalks-in-Darkness drops him and turns his back. "The lightest touch and patience." Stalks-in-Darkness chides. "Valsvis's hatred grows every day, and for the Imperial... memories of the past haunt him more than he admits. I need to do little but wait."  
Mentor staggers back to the scrying pool, collapsing next to it, his hood hanging over his head.  
"Do you have something further to say, Mentor?" Stalks-in-Darkness mocks turning back to him.  
"Nothing," Mentor says.  
Stalks-in-Darkness turns his back again. "Keep watch. Valsvis will make his move soon. I can see the desire for murder in his eyes. And when he does..." Stalks-in-Darkness grins as he stalks out of the cave.  
~/~


	29. Act 2 - Punch in the Face

It's early morning and the first rays of sunlight are shining down on the grass. All the gladiators are enjoying a few minutes of relaxation before training. Viperish Night is stretched out in the sun like a cat, the sun's rays warm on his scales. Fernthorn and Qa'Dar are sitting in the grass and every time Qa'Dar tries to inch closer to her, she finds an insect or spider to throw in his face. Rayrl and Israean are under a tree dozing. Kigum-Dar and Zan'tabe are wrestling and Titumus is standing against the gladiator's quarters wall just watching with a tired smile.  
It's already been two weeks since the fight. Since Viperish Night killed the last two of Rishima's murderers. Viperish Night feels oddly at peace. Rishima had been avenged in such a way that he had not been driven in the icy river. Despite Titumus and Zan'tabe's worry, Valsvis has not done anything threatening. Even Thjonwulf has been oddly absent, his eyes no longer on Viperish Night when he trains. Even the small earthquakes have not upset the strange peace.  
The sun crawls across the morning sky and slowly everyone rises to head in for training. Titumus suddenly stumbles and Zan'tabe catches his arm. "My friend, are you unwell?" Zan'tabe asks as Viperish Night hurries to Titumus as well.  
Titumus waves them off. "Just not sleeping well lately," he says, a troubled look crossing his face. "Cost of living hard and getting old."

Halfway through training that day Thjonwulf walks in, the first time in weeks. His eyes immediately focus on Viperish Night, who is training with Kigum-Dar. Viperish Night feels his eyes and pauses, hissing. "Do not let him get to you, Viperish Night," Kigum-Dar says quietly. Viperish Night slowly nods, his eyes narrowed slightly. He will not be what others wish him to be.  
Titumus steps in Thjonwulf's path as he starts to move toward Viperish Night. "Out of my way, Imperial." Thjonwulf snarls. "I allow you enough latitude as is."  
"Accept things as how they are," Titumus says. "How your gladiators are. We all win for you. It should be enough."  
"Accept?" Thjonwulf snarls. "They pay to see you fight, but they keep coming back for bloody carnage. I need my monsters, and I HAVE NONE."  
All the gladiators are now still, paused in place by the confrontation. Qa'Dar looks at Fernthorn, they had been sparing before this. "Not monster enough for him?" he asks confused. Fernthorn looks uncomfortable.  
Zan'tabe walks over to Viperish Night and Kigum-Dar. "Zan'tabe thinks this will not end well." He runs a paw over his head. "No new gladiators, attendance down, the werewolf's temper is non-existent right now. Titumus should not be confronting him now." Worry crosses the Khajiit's face. Titumus has not been sleeping well for some time, the point it was causing him to falter in training. If that happened in a match...  
"Titumus..." Viperish Night says, starting to move to him.  
Zan'tabe puts a paw on his shoulder. "You will not help, Viperish Night. It will make things worse."  
"Enough," Titumus says. "Viperish Night is an excellent fighter. The fact he took on both those Orcs without serious injury is proof of that. He does not need to be your monster."  
"You ORDER ME?" Thjonwulf roars. He suddenly grabs Titumus by the neck and slams him against the wall. "Your all MINE. You will do as I tell you, fight as I want you to!"  
Viperish Night hisses and surges forward. "Let him go." he snarls at Thjonwulf.  
"Viperish Night should not be doing this..." Zan'tabe says.  
Thjonwulf drops Titumus and turns to Viperish Night in a rage. "You too, my formerly savage Argonian?" His eyes narrow. "Submit!  
Viperish Night knows he should back down. Submit. Things are stable, his anger is at last under control. But this man...no. This monster. He's just like his former mentor. Just like Stalks-in-Darkness. Wanting him to be something he did not want to be. Wanted him to be a monster. He's sick of it and so he meets Thjonwulf's eyes in challenge.  
"Viperish Night stand down!" Titumus says staggering up. "You cannot beat him." Viperish Night pauses, glances at Titumus.  
Zan'tabe moves to Titumus's side. "We could beat him together. Though that would bring so much trouble. And anyone of us could get bitten in the process."  
The rest of the gladiators gravitate towards the wall, towards Titumus. If he ordered it, they would attack Thjonwulf. Titumus judges the situation and then looks at Viperish Night a question in his eyes. Viperish Night shakes his head. He wants them to stay out of this.  
"Yes, formally savage Argonian, stand down. Submit!" Thjonwulf says.  
Viperish Night's attention returns to Thjonwulf. He does not drop his gaze, instead of meeting the werewolf's eyes once more. "No.," he says.  
Thjonwulf's eyes melt from brown to gold and he shifts in a heartbeat. He howls and then savagely throws himself at Viperish Night. Viperish Night dives to the side then leaps up and his claws rake Thjonwulf's side. Thjonwulf growls and throws his body at Viperish Night, sending him crashing to the ground. Thjonwulf leaps on top of them and the two roll claws flying and jaws snapping until Viperish Night manages to slither out and slams into Thjonwulf sending him tumbling. Thjonwulf springs up and clubs Viperish Night across the side of the head bringing him to his knees. He then springs onto Viperish Night and both crash down. Thjonwulf's jaws close on Viperish Night's throat and stop before they clamp down, his fangs just brushing Viperish Night's scales.  
Viperish Night hisses, then closes his eyes. "...I submit," he says.  
Thjonwulf releases his grip and stands up, shifting back just as the guards rush in with Valsvis leading them. "Take him to the cave." Thjonwulf orders.  
Viperish Night staggers up, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Valsvis. He goes with the guards without issue, looking back at his friends with a small shrug.  
"Valsvis." Thjonwulf snarls as Valsvis starts to leave. "JUST the cave. No additional punishments. He just needs a little time out."  
Valsvis's eyes narrow. "Of course," he says stiffly.  
"Keep him there until I return from town." Thjonwulf orders. "I have to deal with the milk drinkers today. I won't be back till after nightfall." Valsvis nods and turns to follow the guards. Thjonwulf gives the rest of the gladiators a glance. "You will stay in the building today. That is an order. The doors will be locked." he orders then stalks out as well.  
"Damn it," Titumus says. "This is my fault. I should not have baited him."  
"Zan'tabe thinks you need more sleep," Zan'tabe says.  
"He tried to take on the fleabag," Fernthorn says, eyes wide.  
"He's an idiot for trying," Rayrl says.  
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Israean says. "I find it more interesting that Thjonwulf seems to have purposely come in to start a fight."  
Titumus stares at the door. "Titumus?" Kigum-dar asks.  
"Fernthorn," Titumus says. "Your the only one small enough to sneak out. You know the way. Keep an eye on things if you can."  
Fernthorn glares at him. "Fine. But I wish I was an Argonian. Always think I'm going to get stuck and drown." she heads off to the baths.  
The rest of the gladiators head out to the dining hall. No one's mind is on training any longer and so they will wait for the day to be over as best they can.

The guards lead Viperish Night to the cave and down into the earth. The cage awaits, the lava bubbling nearby. He goes in without a fuss, turning to look at them before they lock the door. Valsvis stares at him for a few moments, before leaving with the guards. Viperish Night sighs. He still hates lava and small cages. He sits cross-legged on the ground, his scales already drying out from the heat. At least the simmering warmth will help the aches in his body from being thrown around by a werewolf. Viperish Night tilts his head. He should not have challenged Thjonwulf but he was just sick of people telling him who to be. He may not know what he truly wants, but that does not mean anyone else knows! He growls softly and rests his head against the bars. Maybe now Thjonwulf would leave him alone. 

Outside Valsvis walks away from the cave. One of the Orc guards is left to guard the cave. Valsvis walks to an equipment building and leans against it watching the cave with a look of fury in his eyes for nearly an hour. Finally, he shifts. "You are late," he says as two Dunmer mages walk from the shadows of the building. "Follow me, and keep quiet. You'll be paid after." Valsvis walks down to the cave the two mages trailing behind him. When he gets to the guard, he places a pouch full of gold into his hands and descends into the cave.

Viperish Night raises his head as footsteps echo down the path. It's far too early for Thjonwulf to be back. Far too early to be released. Viperish Night rises as Valsvis walks into view followed by his two mages. His eyes fill with hatred, but he remains calm and silent. The match with Rishima's murderers has given him calm. He is not about to let Valsvis shake it. His eyes narrow. Valsvis is making his move then.  
Valsvis walks up to the cage with a twisted smile. "You stupid lizard," he says as he gestures for the mages to move to the back of the cage, closer to the lava. "Had you not decided to take a bite out of that fur rug Nord I might have never had a chance like this."  
Viperish Night stalks the cage, his eyes never leaving Valsvis. He runs his claws against the bars, focusing an unblinking stare onto Valsvis, even as a chill runs down his back. Trapped in a small cage, no way to snap his jaws around Valsvis's neck.  
"Those damn eyes!" Valsvis suddenly snarls. "Always those damn eyes staring, challenging me!"  
The depth of anger in his words staggers Viperish Night back, his eyes shifting from hatred to confusion. "Why do you hate me so much?" Viperish Night hisses.  
Valsvis surges forward and slams his fist against the bars. "You damn lizards!" he snarls. "All of you! Damn Argonian's, acting all obedient and passive, but it's a lie, an act!" Valsvis suddenly steps back, just now realizing he's in Viperish Night's range. He starts to pace back and forth in front of the cage.  
Viperish Night's eyes follow him, even more confused. Valsvis is acting half-mad and filled with so much hatred and rage, just as much as Viperish Night has in the past.  
"Damn lizards. My family treated them better than a lot of Dunmer treat their slaves! And how did they repay us? By going mad and killing nearly everyone in the middle of the night! I killed some of those Damn fetchers myself before the house guards came and put the rest down." Valsvis spits.  
Viperish Night steps forward, wrapping his claws around the bars. "You kept them bond." he hisses. "What do you expect? That every single being you Dunmer bind will just take it? Just accept it?" The acts of the Argonian's in Valsvis's story puzzles him. Argonian's did go with the river in many cases. What would cause them to rise in mass? His eyes narrow. The world seems to cause so much pain and misery. Everyone dealt with it so differently. Valsvis decided to become a hate-filled spiteful Dunmer that caused pain to those bound against their will. "You do not deserve pity." Viperish Night hisses. "Go away."  
"As if I want your pity. Your so much lesser than me." Valsvis sneers and turns to the mages. "Get ready to destabilize the floor behind the cage," he orders. He turns back to Viperish Night and smirks. "Small earthquakes all week. When Thjonwulf returns and finds the cage and his lizard melted in the lava it will just be a sad little accident."  
Viperish Night's eyes widen and his eyes dart around the small cage. It was built to withstand a warrior. The bars solid metal bolted into the rocks. And his strength is in part bound by the binding cuffs. "Coward." he snarls at Valsvis. "I should have thrown you in the lava back then."  
"Yes, you should have," Valsvis says with a cold glare.  
"All this just because you hate Argonians?" Viperish Night hisses.  
"Oh no," Valsvis says. "This is far more personal, you damn lizard." His eyes spark with hatred and anger. "Ever since I saw you, your damn eyes challenge me, always challenge me! It was to be a simple matter to do what I wanted. Nelimar was so disinterested. I should have been able to do whatever I wanted with you damn slaves, disgusting treacherous creatures that you are. But YOU! You and your damn friends. Rebelling at every turn, a challenge in your worthless eyes at every glance! How I HATE you!" Valsvis yells, spittle flying from his mouth. "Even when I lashed you, you still lived, even on your knees you defied me!" Valsvis slams his fist against the cage, jerking it back before Viperish Night has the chance to do anything. He takes a deep breath, calming slightly. "Finally I'll be rid of you. The last time failed, this won't. Some things you have to do yourself."  
The last time? Confusion crosses Viperish Night's face. "What do you mean by that?" Viperish Night hisses.  
"Stupid Fetcher," Valsvis says a smile creeping on his face. "You never figured it out, did you?"  
Viperish Night takes a step back, dread creeping down his spine. "What did you do?" he asks.  
"Oh, you foolish lizard," Valsvis says. "You should have died over a year ago. How you managed to murder one of the Orcs I hired to kill your cat and kill you when you came from them...clearly I underestimated you a little."  
The Orcs... Viperish Night backs away until his back hits the back of the cage. He stares at Valsvis with horror in his eyes The last words of Yatob come back to him, he called Viperish Night an idiot. So confusing at the time, and then he had forgotten it. Viperish Night starts to tremble with horror and rage. This could not be true. It just could not. The world spins as he stares at Valsvis. "The Orcs..." he hisses.  
"Never once did you think it odd that they went after the cat for such little reason?" Valsvis mocks. "Risking a fight with a Dunmer house and trouble from their clan?" A twisted grin crosses his face. "Every man has their price. Pay them enough and they'll murder for you. Though they could not manage to kill a lizard. Just a worthless cat."  
"You?!" Viperish Night says and throws himself at the bars snarling. Rishima, he was the one who had her murdered? He thought it was just the Orcs, just random brutality. The world spins ever more and he howls and snaps his jaws against the bars. Trying to get out, trying to get at Valsvis.  
Valsvis starts to pace back and forth in front of the cage. "That fight truly was priceless, lizard. I lost some money betting on your death, but it was worth it for that vicious look of victory on your face at the end. Thinking you killed your cat's murderers when they had been just...hired mercenaries for lack of a better term."  
Viperish Night slams his fists against the bars trying to budge them, break them. Trying to reach Valsvis so he could tear him apart. "You." he hisses.  
"Yes yes." Valsvis gloats. "I paid to have your stupid cat killed. And now you'll die here too." he gestures to the mages but a commanding voice stops them in their tracks.  
"That is ENOUGH, Valsvis." Thjonwulf roars, stomping down with many guards behind him. "Take them all," Thjonwulf commands. The guards surge in and surround the mages and Valsvis, cuffing them and leading them out of the cave.  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he slams his claws against the bars again. "NO!" he snarls. "GIVE ME VALSVIS." Viperish Night growls and then howls in utter heartbreak and rage.  
Thjonwulf pushes past the remaining guards to stand before the cage. "STOP." he commands.  
"NO." Viperish Night snarls, raking his claws against the bars, his eyes wild and utterly out of control. "Give him to me. LET ME KILL HIM."  
"SUBMIT." Thjonwulf roars. "Submit now and his punishment will be yours."  
Viperish Night finally stops, shaking. He drops to his knees. "When." Viperish Night asks, hanging his head down.  
"Soon," Thjonwulf promises. "I must clear it through channels." as Viperish Night tenses, he adds. "He will not get away with any of this. He has attacked my property, meaning he attacked me. And he has done more besides. Soon."  
Thjonwulf gestures to the last pair of guards. "Take Viperish Night to my cabin. Post guards. He is not to leave."  
The guards unlock the cage and take Viperish Night's arms. In a fog of shock, he meekly follows them. 

Viperish Night paces inside Thjonwulf's cabin. His whole body is trembling and he slams his fists against the wall. All this time, Valsvis had been the one. The one to take Rishima away from him. First Denros and then his Rishima. Viperish Night throws back his head and howls, a scream of utter despair and agony He thought he had justice for Rishima...but they had just been hired to hunt and kill her. To kill him when he came after them. The world spins around him and he collapses onto the floor, claws tearing at the rug. "Rishima...my river," he whispers. "I should have thrown him into the lava, the ocean, something. Why was I so weak I did nothing. And now it's too late." The pain sweeps through him, memories of Rishima flooding through his mind. And then that night, Rishima lying on the cold ground of the building, bloody and broken. Viperish Night staggers up and attacks the room, screaming incoherently until at last, he hits his limit and drops to the floor the world going black.

Fernthorn rushes into the dining room, dripping wet. Titumus and Zan'tabe are at a table looking worried, the rest of the gladiators are either in their rooms or in the training room.  
"What happened?" Titumus says.  
Fernthorn sits down. "Valsvis went into the cave with mages. I would have gone in after them, but Thjonwulf showed up with a lot of guards."  
"It was a setup. Why is Zan'tabe surprised?" Zan'tabe says.  
"The guards brought Valsvis up and took him to be locked up somewhere." Fernthorn continues.  
"And Viperish Night?" Titumus says.  
"A few minutes later they brought up Viperish Night." Fernthorn answers. "He was not hurt." Fernthorn trails off and looks at Titumus. "Titumus, his eyes." she softly says. "His eyes were full of such rage and agony."  
"By Jone and Jode, what did Valsvis do to him?" Zan'tabe says.  
"Where is he?" Titumus asks.  
Fernthorn shrugs. "They took him someplace. I don't know where. And Thjonwulf went into town."  
"Damn it all to Oblivion." Titumus curses, slamming his fist against the table.  
"Calm, Titumus," Zan'tabe says.  
"What is going on?" Fernthorn says, Zan'tabe giving her an odd look puzzled by the way she's acting.  
"Leave her be," Titumus says. "Its Viperish Night we need to be worried about now.  
Fernthorn wraps her arms around herself. "I like Viperish Night." she suddenly says. "I like all of you. Even that idiot Qa'Dar. I just... it's easier to pretend."  
"Zan'tabe's head spins," Zan'tabe says. "But yes, Titumus, this is not good but it's not a disaster."  
Titumus's fist clenches. "Thjonwulf intends to make an example out of Valsvis and let Viperish Night enact the punishment." Titumus sighs. "He's also made it so that none of us can calm or ground Viperish Night beforehand."  
"Zan'tabe feels sick," Zan'tabe says. "But Viperish Night is doing well. He took down the Orcs without losing control, or losing himself."  
"You did not see his eyes," Fernthorn says. "Worse then I have ever seen him, even when he first came here. There was no madness in his eyes this time though... just utter despair and such hatred and rage."  
"Whatever Valsvis did or said," Titumus says. "We need to find out what. I'll talk to Thjonwulf when he returns." Titumus rises to wait by the building door. Thjonwulf will come and announce what is happening. Titumus feels sure of it.

Thjonwulf enters at dusk and Titumus is waiting for him arms crossed and anger on his face. He waits for Thjonwulf to speak.  
"Imperial," Thjonwulf says. "Why am I not surprised to see you waiting for me."  
"You planned this," Titumus says tightly.  
"Valsvis has vexed me for some time," Thjonwulf says. "Damn Dunmer is slyer than most and it took longer than I thought to catch him in the act." he grins. "Now I get to have my fun with the damn Dunmer."  
"Punishment for capturing you so long ago," Titumus says. "Hunting the Dunmer down and doing it in such a way that they have little recourse but to let you."  
"Makes the hunt fun, Imperial," Thjonwulf says.  
"Viperish Night." Titumus states. "He does not deserve punishment for any of this."  
"Oh, on the contrary, Imperial. I'm rewarding him. He wants Valsvis's head, he'll get it." Thjonwulf says with a laugh.  
"Viperish Night did not fight the way you wanted him to with the Orcs," Titumus says. "He'll take down Valsvis the same way, not the way you want him to."  
"Such faith," Thjonwulf says. "I listened in on Valsvis when he was tormenting Viperish Night." Thjonwulf leans in closer to Titumus. "The Orcs never acted on their own with Viperish Night's kitty cat. Valsvis hired them.  
Titumus goes still. "What," he says.  
"You heard me. Treacherous backstabbing race. Why I hate the Dunmer so much. Cowardly milk drinkers." Thjonwulf snarls.  
"Where is Viperish Night?" Titumus asks.  
"My cabin," Thjonwulf says. "Guarded of course."  
"Bring him back here, Thjonwulf," Titumus says. "He needs to be with his friends."  
"Why?" Thjonwulf says. "So you can tame my Savage Argonian, Imperial?"  
Titumus tenses, eyes locked on Thjonwulf. "You do NOT know what you are doing," Titumus says. "You do not know what he used to be. What if the collar releases during the fight? You'll have more than a few dead Dunmer spectators on your hands!"  
Thjonwulf slams his fist into Titumus's face, sending him crashing to the ground. "Do not challenge me! I doubt I'd be able to stop before I snapped my jaws around your neck." He stares down at Titumus until he looks away. "His collar cannot be cut off unless someone beheads him." Thjonwulf turns to leave. "Two days. You all will be in attendance for the special match. And Viperish Night stays with me till then." he slams the door on his way out.

Titumus paces in the dining hall with the rest of the gladiators gathered. "Damn it all," he says.  
"He'll be fine," Qa'Dar says. "He was so angry at the Orcs, yet it was fine then."  
Fernthorn's expression is more of a lost little girl than her monstrous mask. She suddenly leans against Qa'Dar much to his surprise. "His eyes." she says "None of you saw his eyes."  
"Zan'tabe says the solution is simple. We challenge Thjonwulf and take him down. Take over." Zan'tabe says.  
"Thjonwulf is many things," Rayrl says. "But stupid is not one of them. He will not come into the training room where we can get him."  
"Thjonwulf was a gladiator," Israean adds. "He knows our mindset far too well."  
"Viperish Night will remember us." Zan'tabe insists. "This one is certain."  
"It is easy to become lost in the past." Kigum-dar says. Remembering the fight with the Daedra, he had temporarily lost his mind during it.  
"It is set for two days from now," Titumus says. "Thjonwulf will not wait till the end of the month or let Viperish Night calm down first." he pauses. "If Viperish Night can calm down. If the Orcs had acted alone as we all thought, that is an act of brutality. But Valsvis paying them... that is an act of venom of sheer hatred."  
Everyone falls silent. Two days seems an endless wait.

Thjonwulf walks into his cabin, past the guards. The room is trashed and Viperish Night is passed out in the middle of the carnage. Thjonwulf rights a chair and gets a cup of mead and sits watching him, waiting for him to wake. "My savage Argonian," he says with a grin. "This is going to be fun."


	30. Act 2 - Evisceration

_Viperish Night lies in a pool of icy water in a dimly lit cave. His eyes stare blankly into the gloom as the icy water chills him to the bone. Stalks-in-Darkness sits nearby staring at him with those chilling grey-blue eyes of his. "When will you learn the world is against you?" he hisses. Viperish Night's eyes finally focus and turn to Stalks-in-Darkness. "Is it worth it?" Stalks-in-Darkness asks. "fighting so hard only to get your face slammed in the dirt time and time again?" he taunts.  
Viperish Night does not answer the question. Does not even have an answer. Old wounds ripped asunder. Valsvis... his eyes filled with hatred. "Should have killed him..." Viperish Night whispers.   
"Yes," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "But you wanted to be a good little lizard. Nice, gentle, like a rabbit." he leans in closer to Viperish Night. "But what happens to rabbits? The jaws of the predators close in around their neck. Each and every time. Do you really want to be THAT?"  
Viperish Night closes his eyes, but he cannot escape Stalks-in-Darkness's words. Be the hunter and not the hunted. Strong and not the weak. Lead and not follow. Viperish Night's eyes snap open and he sits up. "No." he answers.  
Stalks-in-Darkness rises and circles him. "Then submit to the icy river. Let it plunge you down to the depths so you can conquer it and have power enough for whatever you decide you desire."  
Viperish Night shudders. "You mean what you want." he snarls at Stalks-in-Darkness.  
Stalks-in-Darkness stops in front of him and tilts his head. "True. In part. I will get something out of it, in the end. But so you will. Perhaps even more than I."  
Viperish Night hisses, such anguish in that small sound. "I cannot. My friends," he says.  
"You would not betray them that way?" Stalks-in-Darkness says.  
Viperish Night is silent, the answer in his eyes. No. He has been betrayed, to do that to someone else? Much less ones he considers friends.   
Stalks-in-Darkness laughs. "And they would not ever betray you, now would they? Very well." he moves in closer to Viperish Night, lightly running his claws down his shoulder. "I'll leave you alone then for now. But think of what Valsvis did to you. How brutally Valsvis murdered your Bosmer friend, how he paid to have your beloved murdered. How long did she wait in that cold empty building? Waiting for salvation, for you, for death?" Stalks-in-Darkness pauses. "Does Valsvis deserve as quick and merciful death as the Orcs?"  
The dim light starts to fade and Viperish Night hangs his head. One thought in his mind as the dark closes in.   
No...Valsvis does not deserve mercy._

Viperish Night wakes to find Thjonwulf staring at him. The day rushes back and he springs up and howls wildly before crashing back down.   
"Savage Argonian," Thjonwulf says. "I promised you a chance to play with Valsvis the day I bought you. In two days you'll have him. A special arena match. The ruling body made me agree to send him in with guards. But they are all Dunmer milk drinkers. They stand no chance against you."  
"Valsvis." Viperish Night hisses in hatred, raising his head to stare at Thjonwulf. Stalks-In-Darkness's words flow back into his mind. Valsvis does not deserve a merciful death. But Titumus's council also courses through him. Viperish Night shakes, so confused as his thoughts war. "I want to return to the others now," he says.   
"No, I think not," Thjonwulf says. "You'll stay here as my guest until the fight."  
Viperish Night's eyes snap wide and he snarls, attempting to get up. The world spins and Thjonwulf gets up and grabs his arm. "You had your shot at taking my head," he says. "You have no chance in your condition and with the binding cuffs active." he half drags Viperish Night to a small room and locks him inside for the night.

Viperish Night sits just staring at the door. Food and mead rest on a nearby table ignored. The walls are made of rock, the door solid oak. There is not even a single window. The deep wound left by Rishima's death had started to scab over. But now it has been ripped asunder and the agony that courses through him seems unbearable. The icy rage and hatred scream in his mind, chipping away at everything else. How could he be so stupid to think that monster would let him be? That any monster would? Did one have to be a monster to survive? Viperish Night closes his eyes and shakes, trying to regain control. His friends were not monsters though. They survive. But... bound. Always bound, until death found them and set them free. Viperish Night's claws trace the collar around his neck. All so many in this world did was use him, hurt him in unimaginable ways. The Hist had rejected him. Even his egg-parents did not want him if Stalks-in-Darkness told any kind of truth. Viperish Night lowers his head, more thoughts course through his tired mind. Not everyone... not everyone hurt, betrayed, or used him. Seriana, Denros, his Rishima. The gladiators that became his friends and salvation from the madness and rage. They all had accepted him. The world had taken some from him, but still, many remained. He opens his eyes. Suddenly he wants nothing more than to talk to Titumus. He staggers up only to fall again. The food mocks him, he feels so sick but his body is at its limit. He grabs the food and eats it, ignoring the mead. Finally, he rises and searches the room, but there is no way out. He rests his head against the door, claws scratching deep groves in it. 

"Let me return to the others!" Viperish Night snarls the next morning. He stands in the ruins of the front room in front of Thjonwulf.  
Thjonwulf glares at him, those eyes demanding submission. "Come at me then, Savage Argonian."  
Viperish Night knows he cannot beat Thjonwulf. He tried and that was in the training yard the binding cuffs were off. But the rage and fury coursing through him seem to blind him as he throws himself blindly at Thjonwulf. Thjonwulf slams his fist into Viperish Night's head, sending him staggering back. Again Viperish Night charges at him, slammed the ground. Into the wall. Against the chair. Until Thjonwulf grabs him by his wrists and holds him twisting above the ground.   
"Savage Argonian, listen for ONE MOMENT." Thjonwulf roars at him. Viperish Night stills, panting, his eyes glaring daggers of hate at Thjonwulf. "Do you want to punish yourself?"  
Viperish Night's head falls. "Too stupid to kill him years ago." he snarls. "I should have!" he pants then closes his eyes and shakes. Viperish Night knows he has to try to reign in this all-consuming rage. It's pushing him into the icy river that calls to him. If he could just talk to Titumus he could find something to hold onto. "Please," he says. "Let me talk to Titumus. Just for a few moments."  
Thjonwulf drops Viperish Night to the ground and stares down at him. "Two choices." he rumbles and as Viperish Night looks up at him with wild eyes he continues. "You stay here willingly, and stop asking to return to the gladiator quarters until AFTER the match, or..." he trails off as Viperish Night stands. "Or..." he continues. "I'll let you return to your friends. But if you do, I'll turn Valsvis over to the Island's ruling council. They may banish him from the island, or lock him up for a while. But they won't kill him." Thjonwulf grins savagely. "I'll return later. I expect your answer then." he walks to the door and leaves Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night slides to the floor once more shaking. He stares at the door utter hate filling his eyes. How could Thjonwulf demand such a thing from him? He hangs his head and breaths hard, then gets up and bolts for the window. Even if he breaks it, it's too small for him to slither through. And the guards are not just by the door, they are patrolling the cabin's grounds. Making it impossible for him to leave, and impossible for anyone to sneak up here. He rests his head against the window his heart beating wildly. He knows his answer. He'll stay. He cannot let Valsvis escape. He cannot let him go. But... he could still have both. But both would mean killing Valsvis without making him suffer. Why would he not also making him suffer? He deserved it! Viperish Night hisses and once more, he tears apart the room, though there is not much left to break.

Thjonwulf returns late evening and finds Viperish Night the same way he did the previous day. He stares at his chair, this time it did not survive the Argonian's rage. "My favorite chair," he says with a growl before pushing it to the side and sitting on the floor with mead. Viperish Night's eyes flicker open and he sits up and stares at Thjonwulf. "So you've decided then," Thjonwulf says.  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "I will stay." he hisses softly. "But you cannot tell me how to kill Valsvis! I will kill him the way I want."   
"Do you know how you want to kill him?" Thjonwulf asks and just laughs when Viperish Night turns his head from the question. He knocks back his mead and throws the cup against the door, guards come in with food and place it on the floor before Viperish Night and Thjonwulf.   
"Do you need another... everything?" the guard asks Thjonwulf.   
Thjonwulf throws his head back and laughs. "Yes, but let's wait till my angry house guest has left." The guard just nods, looking once more at the trashed room before leaving.  
Viperish Night pulls the food to him and methodically eats. After they are done eating Thjonwulf leans back and regards Viperish Night. "Two hours. Give or take." Thjonwulf suddenly says.  
Viperish Night's eyes fill with confusion. "What?"   
"Took some doing finding that out," Thjonwulf says. "That is how long it took your kitty cat to die. How long she was alone for."  
Viperish Night bolts right up and staggers back, hitting the wall. He had been sleeping hours. If he had gotten up earlier. Despair fills his eyes.  
Thjonwulf stands and stalks up to him, thrusting both hands against the wall on either side of Viperish Night. "Idiot." he snarls. "I did not tell you that so you would blame yourself. You are not to blame for any of it! It's the damn Dunmer that are to blame. They started this island, you know. The Orcs just took advantage and a few Imperials. They can get away with things they could not get away with on Vvardenfell, especially now!" he pauses, staring deep into Viperish Night's eyes. "You need to stop thinking any of this is your fault and cast blame where it's due. And then you hunt."   
Viperish Night's claws scratch the rock walls and he looks away from Thjonwulf's intense gaze. "But I should have woken sooner. Killed Valsvis sooner," he says.  
"Idiot." Thjonwulf snarls again. "Can you see the future? Prevent yourself from being nearly struck by lightning?"   
Viperish Night's eyes snap back to Thjonwulf's. "How do you know that?" he says.  
"I told you, I went to all the trouble of finding things out. The time, that night. Nelimar's other house lizard told him about the lightning strike, so when I asked Nelimar..." Thjonwulf laughs a little. "Milk Drinker still does not care for me. Despite the money I gave to him for you."  
Snails-In-Garden, the elder Argonian house slave. Viperish Night had not thought of him in a long time. He, along with many memories was still too painful to think about. But why did Thjonwulf ask Nelimar and not... "He returned to the swamp." Viperish Night says.  
"Yes, shortly after I bought you," Thjonwulf says. "But back to the subject. ANSWER MY QUESTION."  
Viperish Night looks away and then closes his eyes. "No.," he says.   
"Then it is Valsvis's fault and ONLY his fault," Thjonwulf says. "He killed your other friend and your kitty cat. He will pay for it, not you." Thjonwulf lowers his arms and settles back into his spot with more mead.   
Viperish Night slips to the ground, arms hanging over his knees and he rests his head on them. Memories streak past his eyes. Things he could have done, but it would have ended the same way. If he went for Valsvis to throw him in the lava the guards would have killed him as well, leaving Rishima without either of her friends. If he tried to dive in the ocean with Rishima when they tried to run, the guards would have called in ships, if he lost hold of her for a second, she would drown. She had told him he was not a strong swimmer. And that night... he could not force his body to recover from a lightning strike. He could not of known the horror that awaited them that night. Because of Valsvis. He raises his head, his eyes glowing with murderous rage.   
"Good, Savage Argonian," Thjonwulf says. "I won't order you to tear Valsvis apart with your claws. I'll even let you go in armed. You kill him how you think he should die."   
Viperish Night tilts his head slightly. "You will not force me to be a monster?" he says confused.  
Thjonwulf's eyes flash golden just for a moment. "You have a monster inside of you, Viperish Night," he says, surprising Viperish Night by using his actual name. "It's not so bad, being a monster. It makes you strong. It makes people fear you. And it makes it so you can make them suffer when they wound you."  
Viperish Night stills. All this time, strength has been thrown in front of him. He's been shown it, told he should grab it, told its worth more than anything. Confusion crosses his face and he shakes his head growling. "Always strength and power," he says.  
"Without it we are weak," Thjonwulf says. "Sheep, milk drinkers, stepping stones for those who are the wolfs." he regards Viperish Night in utter seriousness. "My clan was Nords. They should have been strong. But they were weak. Turning cheek for the stronger clans, when a way to be the strongest was right in front of their faces. I took that strength, I took the beast blood and became the wolf. They still refused to see the truth, so I slaughtered them like the sheep they were."  
Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock and he stares at Thjonwulf. "You murdered your family?" he says. It had to be like Za'gh. It had to be because he lost control. Why else would someone murder their family, their friends, their clan? "You lost control..." Viperish Night says trailing off as he sees the terrible truth in Thjonwulf's eyes.   
Thjonwulf grins, the grin of a wolf, of a merciless predator. "I never once lost control," he says. "They were weak, so I purged them from this world. Our neighboring clans found this offensive, called me a clan breaker, and the like, and set out to murder me. You know the rest."  
Viperish Night looks away. He knew Thjonwulf to be an actual monster, but this...this was truly monstrous. And this was the man he had agreed to stay with until the fight. Suddenly all he wants to do is be with his friends, but he stays silent. His desire to murder Valsvis overrides every other want and need. But his head is so full its throbbing and he gets up and walks quietly back to the room he stayed the night before. 

As he lies down staring at the wall he waits for the click of the lock, but it never comes. Thjonwulf knows he will not leave. He could remove all the guards, and still, Viperish Night would stay. Stay to get his bloody revenge on Valsvis. Did that make him a monster? Or just a broken lizard tired of letting others hurt him? Viperish Night closes his eyes. The line between them is so very thin. And he is being pulled in two directions. Kill Valsvis quick with mercy he does not deserve, or make him suffer? He knows what his friends would tell him. His heart beats with such agony and rage and he still has no idea what to do. He knows he needs to speak to Titumus, but doing so means giving up on revenge. Valsvis would get away with it. Finally, sleep takes him, though his sleep is deeply troubled.

Viperish Night wakes the next day to find Thjonwulf gone again. Food and water have been left out and the guards... Viperish Night looks out the window and then tries the front door. It opens and there are no guards outside. He walks into the grass, closing the door behind him, and sits down in the grass, wet from dew. It's a test. To see if he'll forsake his revenge to run or return to his friends. No doubt the guards are near. So he just sits in the grass, the overcast sky above him. It starts to rain, and still, he sits the rain washing down his scales. And this is how Fernthorn finds him, sitting in the rain, staring at nothing, his thoughts turned inward.

Fernthorn used the tunnel again to sneak out. The guards are posted all over the place, but Fernthorn was a hunter once, deep in Valenwood. The Orc guards have nothing on a Bosmer of the deep woods. "I could run," she whispers to herself as she hides up a tree from a passing guard. But they inspected the boats so carefully. She had gone to the docks after finding the tunnel the first time to try that very thing. But... she thought she might get caught. And she thought she was not strong enough by half to get her revenge. And... as much as she wanted revenge, she had no one back in Valenwood. Her gladiators had become her family, as much as she tried to be a monster around them and everyone else.

Viperish Night turns his head as the rustling in the grass catches his eye. Fernthorn is in the deep grass staring at him. He shakes his head. No guards. She comes to sit by him in the wet grass under the rain. "Viperish Night, your not locked up," she says, confused. "Why don't you come back with me. I can get us past the guards. They'll figure it out eventually but you'll have a little while."  
Viperish Night turns his gaze from her. "No.," he says.   
"Why?" Fernthorn asks. "Don't you... want to be with us?" When Viperish Night does not answer she looks away. "Thjonwulf told Titumus what Valsvis did."   
Viperish Night lowers his head, shivering slightly. "He'll let Valsvis go if I do." Viperish Night says. "That is why there are no guards. No locks." His eyes track her expression. "You'd stay to if it meant revenge."  
Fernthorn's hands curl in fists. "No, I would not. I could, maybe. Thjonwulf does not know about the tunnel. But I won't leave them."  
Viperish Night is in a bit of shock. He knows how strong the desire for revenge runs in her veins, and she had said she wanted to go home in the past. Viperish Night's eyes show confusion. She glares at him.  
"They are all dead anyway. My family, my village! And so are the ones who killed them. You know that! I know that! They lost the war over four years ago. There is no one left for me to kill, to eat, to stop this pain inside of me! The only thing that helps is you guys." Fernthorn bursts out. "I will never run. I would rather stay here as a slave and die in the arena, then leave my family. Because all you idiots are my family, including you. You are like my brother." She staggers to her feet. "I'm tired of pretending to be a monster. I saw what it did to Za'gh, what it almost did to you! Why would you WANT that?"  
Viperish Night stares up at Fernthorn in shock, and he just now sees how young she is. "How old were you when they brought you here?" he asks.   
"Fifteen," she says softly. "I told them I was older. I told them I'd eat them all. That's why Thjonwulf bought me. It's not like he would have bought a frightened young girl. They would have made me a house slave! I did not want to be a pet for the Dunmer. I wanted to hurt people." Viperish Night rises and stands in front of her. She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why do you want that?" she asks again. "There are enough monsters in the world, Viperish Night."  
Viperish Night looks down at her. "I know," he says. "I know there are. All they ever do is hurt me. And even though there are others out there who do not, the world seems to drown them too." he pauses. "I cannot return with you. I will try to keep Titumus's advice in my head, and all my friends in my heart. I will try not to drown in the river. But I need to kill Valsvis."  
"And Thjonwulf?" Fernthorn says angrily. "He'll hurt you. Send you in there with nothing so you have no option but to tear Valsvis apart with your claws and fangs."  
"Thjonwulf is a monster. More so than you know." Viperish Night hisses. "Clan murderer. It was not out of control rage. But he will not hurt me or force me to fight as he wishes. He's letting me fight my way."  
Fernthorn's eyes open in shock. "He..." she trails off. "What is your way, Viperish Night?"  
Once more he has no answer. He knows what he should say. What he should do. But he cannot bring himself to say it, lest it be a lie. "I will try." Viperish Night says. "I always try. I fear the day I fail."  
Fernthorn glares at him and then turns her back on him. "You are stupid," she says. "You risk falling by doing this. You had no choice with the Orcs, you had to kill them. The only choice you had was how. Now you actually have a choice and..." she trails off then turns around and throws her arms around him. "You are a stupid lizard," she says. "Come back to us, now or later. Don't forget us when you fight him." She turns again and runs off down the hill leaving a bewildered Viperish Night behind.

Viperish Night heads in some time after that, sitting in the mess of the room. Evening falls and his head turns to the door. Thjonwulf will return soon. The werewolf's behaver puzzles him. First, he drives Viperish Night to be a monster, and then he backs off? Viperish Night slowly hisses. Does Thjonwulf think he'll go berserk on Valsvis? Viperish Night sighs. He's not even sure what he'll do in the arena. All he knows is he will kill Valsvis. Viperish Night's claws curl in anger, his eyes filling with bottomless pits of hatred.   
The door opens and Thjonwulf enters, one of the guards behind him to deliver dinner. Viperish Night eats, his eyes tracking Thjonwulf.  
"You did not run," Thjonwulf says. "I think, my Savage Argonian, if I told you you had to kill Valsvis by ripping his neck open with your fangs, you'd do it. You'd do anything for his head."  
"Almost anything." Viperish Night admits, looking down.   
"That is why I will not tell you to be my savage Argonian," Thjonwulf says. "I want to see how you kill the bastard." He focuses his intense gaze on Viperish Night. "There will be no punishment if you kill him the way you killed the Orcs. You are free to make up your mind."  
Viperish Night almost asks why. Almost. But with a chill, he suddenly knows why. Thjonwulf thinks him a true monster. Thinks that is what he is at his core, that he will let himself be a monster when he faces Valsvis, who took so very much from him. "I am not a monster." he hisses  
Thjonwulf leans against the wall. "You don't sound all that sure."   
Viperish Night trembles, just a bit. He remembers what Stalks-in-Darkness asked him. If he wanted to be a rabbit, prey, weak. And he said no. That did not make him a monster though. But the fact he even answered...Viperish Night growls low. "I do not want to talk about this anymore."  
"Then ask me," Thjonwulf says. "I could see a question in your horrified eyes last night. Ask me what you wanted to. What you were afraid to."  
Thjonwulf's past, this monster was a murderer. Killed his family because he thought they were weak. "I know why." Viperish Night hisses. "But how could you kill your own family?" Viperish Night remembered how others spoke of their family. None of them would dream of hurting them. Za'gh had only done so due to being infected and cursed with vampirism. And he had never gotten over it.   
"Sentimentality. Blood ties." Thjonwulf says. "All I see is strength and weakness. I did not want to be blood to the sheep. So I culled the herd." At Viperish Night's horrified gaze, Thjonwulf smiles. "You murdered those Argonian's in the mine. From what I gathered, one was even from your tribe. How is that different?"  
Viperish Night hisses. "Mossyrocks was never my tribe. Neither was any of the others, including the one I was hatched in. And none of them was my blood, my family."   
"You hate Argonian's, don't you?" Thjonwulf says.  
Viperish Night looks away. The Hist rejected him. So did nearly every Argonian he met. "I don't know," he says softly. "They don't accept me. They never did."  
"Then they are weak." Thjonwulf growls. "Not you. You are the wolf among the sheep. Do not forget that!"   
A period of silence passes before Thjonwulf breaks it. "Argonian's are not like snakes, are they? Hatch and abandon?" he asks.  
Viperish Night looks up. "No. Argonian's bond. Sometimes for life, sometimes for a season. The young are raised in the tribe. Usually, the egg-parents are from the same tribe. If they are not, then they are just with one egg-parent and their tribe."   
A puzzled look crosses Thjonwulf's face. "Then where are yours?"  
A coldness sets over Viperish Night and he hisses. Part of him does not want to answer. Wants to stomp off to his small room. But the thought of being alone for so long before the match makes his stomach ill so, despite the fact he should not tell this monster anything like this, he speaks. "...I do not know. S... An Argonian who knows me claims they were culpable. I guess that means they just abandoned me. Did not accept me even before I was hatched." he closes his eyes.  
"Viperish Night. Open your eyes and look at me." Thjonwulf commands. Viperish Night slowly opens his eyes, slowly brings them to Thjonwulf's gaze. "If you find them, would you accept them? Or would you tear them apart for abandoning you into the hell your life seems to be?"  
The coldness spreads and Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock. He never once thought about looking for them. Nevertheless what he would do if he found them. If they did abandon him. Did the Hist tell them he was an aberration? Or did they just know he was too different to ever be accepted by any Argonian? "I am not like you." Viperish Night hisses and leaps up. Being alone sounded better than this all of a sudden. Viperish Night starts to stalk to his small room, but halts at Thjonwulf's final words.  
"Think about it, Viperish Night. If I were you, I'd hunt the cowards down to the ends of the earth and rip their hearts out. If the sheep are too cowardly to raise a wolf...they deserve to be culled."  
Viperish Night flees to the small room and slams the door. He moves to the far wall, leaning his head against it shaking. How could anyone suggest he DO that? But... Viperish Night shudders. No, there is no but. He tightly closes his eyes, but he cannot help to wonder, if he had not been abandoned, would his life of turned out differently, or would the rejection by the Hist been so much worse if his egg-parents had been there to go along with it? The Argonian's followed the Hist. Suddenly...he thought perhaps he did hate them. Bad thoughts. But ones he could not escape. 

The gladiators sit in quiet silence before bed. The special match is tomorrow evening. Fernthorn had told them what happened when she went to find Viperish Night. How Thjonwulf had given him a choice, to have his vengeance or to return to them. It stings that he decided on the former, but every one of them can understand it. The need for vengeance, to wreak havoc on those who took from you, and in many cases what they took was one's whole world. Shattered into a thousand pieces never to be put back the way it was. Every one of them knows that kind of pain. Their worlds were whole once, and then out of the blue everything they held dear was taken away from them. Home was a distant memory, and even those who still had home and family out there had no way to free themselves to find it.   
Fernthorn sits on the table and when Qa'Dar had climbed up on the table too, instead of snapping at him all she did was lean against his back, legs curled up under her. Rayrl and Israean sit side by side, Kigum-dar leans against the wall, arms crossed and Zan'tabe is next to Titumus who looks more tired than any of them has ever seen him. "Qa'Dar thinks it is too quiet." Qa'Dar quietly says. When the others look at him he shrugs. "Qa'Dar was just thinking how creepy it would be to have a sleepover with a werewolf. But if he could, he would, for then Viperish Night would not be alone with that dog."  
"I have never heard of Thjonwulf having any gladiator in his cabin," Israean says.   
"Is Thjonwulf really going to let Viperish Night chose how he kills Valsvis?" Rayrl asks, turning to Titumus.  
"If that is what he told Viperish Night, then that is what will happen," Titumus says. "Thjonwulf is many things, but a deceiver has never been one of them. It's more of a Dunmer trait, and all of you know how much he hates them."  
"Then what will Viperish Night do?" Zan'tabe says. "He took out the Orcs without resorting to falling back to savage ways...he'll do that again," Zan'tabe says uncertainly.  
"You don't know!" Fernthorn suddenly says, she's been so quiet since speaking of her meeting with Viperish Night. Zan'tabe looks at her in confusion. Fernthorn clenches her fists. "You know the sting of being taken by slavers, we all do. But you do not know what it feels like to have your whole world destroyed by someone. Only some of us know that. It...can destroy who you are. And you have no idea who you will become, or even if you want to be that person."   
"Fernthorn is right," Qa'Dar says. "Qa'Dar had it easy before this. So did Zan'tabe. Qa'Dar was just a tail-chasing no-good thief who chased after the wrong tail."  
"And Zan'tabe was a carefree Khajiit who wanted to wander far from home. This one never thought it would keep him from home forever." Zan'tabe says. "We do try to understand, but our hearts do not know that kind of sorrow. We never lost our families, and our homes are still standing, even if they are beyond our grasp."  
Titumus suddenly gets up and paces before ending up by a window and looking outside. "Titumus?" Israean asks  
Titumus looks out at the night. "The past haunts me lately. I had a family. The day before they sold me, they took great delight in telling me they had been put to death for my treachery. I got them killed, for doing what was right." he sighs. "I had to. I swore to serve the Empire, to protect the citizens. I never thought the day would come when I had to chose between those two things. But..."  
"Sometimes you cannot forgive yourself," Fernthorn says. "I ran away. If I stayed I would have died, there was nothing I could have done. But...I still hate myself for running. And for getting captured and failing to kill any of them myself."  
"We blame ourselves for hiding. Even if it was our father that made us." Rayrl says. "Perhaps we should have argued more. Ignored him. Even..."  
"Even if that meant our deaths," Israean says. "It is a hard thing to bear."  
"Kigum-dar could have been stronger. That is what this one thinks, but the number of Daedra was beyond counting. Kigum-dar blames himself for failing against impossible odds."  
The room falls silent for a time before everyone starts to get up to head for bed, to await the next day. "We will be there for Viperish Night," Zan'tabe says. "He knows we are there. It will have to be enough."  
"It will be," Titumus says. "It must."   
Qa'Dar starts to head toward his room, but Fernthorn suddenly grabs his tail and gives it a yank. "This way," she says quietly as she heads toward her room. Qa'Dar turns and follows. "And do not TRY anything," Fernthorn says. "I just want someone warm tonight. That's... alright with you?" she turns to look at him.   
"For you, anything," Qa'Dar says seriously. "Your not a tail to chase. Your something more." He follows her into her room.  
Sleep does not come easy for the Imperial. Titumus paces his room. Thinking what he said to Thjonwulf less the two days ago. It's not easy to admit he is afraid. Afraid of what Viperish Night could become. But the fear makes little sense. Viperish Night has shown him that he is capable of honor and courage. Of changing and keeping from the darkest of paths. Why is he so worried? He should have more confidence in Viperish Night. Damn it, he did before the memories started coming back to him. Things he had not thought about in a long time. He had put them in the back of his mind, least they destroy him. He had found purpose here in guiding the other gladiators. It was all he had, and he was grateful for them. Finally, he lies down, unable to stay awake for a moment more. 

The next evening Viperish Night waits by the gate, waits for it to rise, and spill him upon the sands. His thoughts are in utter turmoil, and he struggles for calm before the fight, trying to cease the war within him. Vengence, mercy. But how does Valsvis deserves mercy when he showed none? When he took what Viperish Night loved beyond all else. Viperish Night shakes. There is far too much in his head. Titamus's advice and guidance. The things Thjonwulf told him. Stalks-In-Darkness's venomous words. They swirl in his mind like uncontrolled rapids. His blood burns with hatred and icy cold rage. The gate starts to rise and Viperish Night slowly breaths, his honed instincts finally placing him in the mindset he needs to fight.  
Viperish Night walks onto the sands, the roar of the crowd greets him. It's smaller than usual, but they still come for blood and carnage. Viperish Night's eyes dart to the pit. Titumus and the rest of his friends await within. Their heartbeats seemed to beat with his own in the match with the Orcs, but now it's disjointed. His heart beats out of rhythm as the icy rage courses through his blood. Valsvis enters through the second gate and six guards walk with him, surrounding him. Viperish Night's and Valsvis's eyes lock onto each other, both run with untold depths of hatred. Viperish Night flexes his claws and then withdraws the twin Redguard blades, the very same ones he killed the Orcs with. Weapons ground him. He promised he would at least try. Viperish Night's eyes dart to Thjonwulf in the stands and they are not filled with anger but excitement and blood-lust. He hates the Dunmer, all of them. And he wants to see their blood spill on the sands. He wants to see how Viperish Night will kill them.  
"Kill the damn lizard!" Valsvis orders. "I want his worthless blood on the sands."  
The six Dunmer fan out and circle Viperish Night. Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he races to the first guard only to dart to the side surprising the second, his blade cutting through the Dunmer's throat, and in a spray of blood, he drops. The first guard's flying at his back, his sword slicing through the air. Viperish Night ducks and turns, another slash, another spray of blood as the first guard falls as well. The remaining four circle him, more cautious now that he's dispatched two of them in mere moments. The third charges him, and their blades clash against each other, Viperish Night's eye's dart to the fourth and he slams the third into sand and turns, burying his sword in the fourth's guards chest. The fifth guard gets in close, far sooner than Viperish Night thought and his sword plunges into Viperish Night's shoulder. Viperish Night snarls and throws him off, finishing him off with a quick stab. The third and sixth guards come at him from either side, Viperish Night throws one sword, it buries itself in the third's neck, and as the sixth comes at him Viperish Night swirls around, the blade cutting through his neck.   
Viperish Night suddenly hisses a blade sinks into his side glancing off his ribs. He whirls and kicks, sending Valsvis stumbling in the sand. He had snuck up as Viperish Night had dealt with the guards to launch a cowardly surprise attack. Valsvis leaps up and backs away from Viperish Night. "Damn you! Damn you to Oblivion!" Valsvis screams.   
Viperish Night turns to Valsvis. His eyes briefly slide to the pit and he can just see Titumus with the rest of his friends around him. The Imperial's eyes are bloodshot and as he watches the fight his advice echo in Viperish Night's head. Viperish Night's eyes slide back to Valsvis. His blood is full of burning hatred and icy rage, threatening to spill their banks until they overwhelm him. Viperish Night growls. He will not fall to madness again. He will not act like the animal Valsvis thinks he is. He stares at Valsvis and see's hatred, but something else. Fear. "Rishima." Viperish Night hisses. "Never did anything to you. You could have left her out of it. Could have just sent them after me."  
"She was just a worthless slave." Valsvis snarls. "All of you are worthless." Valsvis grips his sword tighter. "I could have, your right. But I wanted to make you SUFFER before you died!"  
The words thunder in Viperish Night's head. Rishima was worth everything, worth more than the moons and the sun. He lowers his head and starts to shake. Forever seems to pass in a few short seconds. Memories flash before his eyes and the grip around his sword loosens...and the sword falls crashing to the sands. Viperish Night's head rises, his eye is shards of crystalline ice as he stalks toward Valsvis.  
Valsvis backs up, the fear running through his eyes. He starts cursing at Viperish Night and swings his sword wildly at him. Viperish Night dodges and grabs Valsvis's wrist and viciously twists it. It snaps sending Valsvis's sword to the ground and Valsvis falls to the ground. "Get up." Viperish Night snarls as he kicks Valsvis's sword, it flies over by the wall.  
Valsvis staggers up and starts to back away from Viperish Night cradling his right arm. Viperish Night's fist slams into his face, shattering his nose and sending him crashing to the sands. "Get up!" Viperish Night snarls again.  
Valsvis staggers up a second time. "Bastard," he says. "Just end it you pathetic lizard."   
Viperish Night tilts his head. Denros suffered. Rishima suffered. Viperish Night surges forward and grabs Valsvis by the neck. The Dunmer struggles in his grip, his one good hand clawing at Viperish Night's hands. Viperish Night could break his neck and the fight would be over. It's how he should do things. Viperish Night tightens his grip... and then he releases his grip.   
Valsvis lands on his feet and staggers backward. "Mercy?" Valsvis says, mistaking Viperish Night's intentions.  
Viperish Night hisses. "You deserve no mercy," he says and surges forward in a bolt of speed, his claws flashing like lightning as they rake Valsvis across the face. Valsvis screams and drops to the ground. He leaps up and tries to back up, but Viperish Night snatches his left arm and snaps it, causing the Dunmer to scream in agony. He throws Valsvis to the wall of the arena, Valsvis hits it hard.  
"Get away from me!" Valsvis says, there is nothing but fear and pain in his eyes now.   
Viperish Night bends down to pick up Valsvis's sword. He slices it down Valsvis's right arm, cutting through blood and muscle. Valsvis screams again and attempts to run. Viperish Night throws the sword and it buries itself into the back of Valsvis's thigh and he falls into the sands. Viperish Night grabs him by the back of the armor and throws him in the center of the arena. Valsvis tries to roll and fails, the snap of his left ankle breaking as he crashes to his side breathing hard. Viperish Night stalks to him and kicks him over, kneeling by him. His claws flash out, cutting through first the light armor and then Valsvis's back again and again, much as Valsvis's whip lashed him years ago. Valsvis screams over and over and Viperish Night only stops when Valsvis's back is a bloody ruin. He stands. "Get up." Viperish Night snarls. "You think yourself so much better than I, then Rishima, GET UP." Valsvis somehow pushes himself to his knees and Viperish Night walks in front of him. Valsvis's eyes are racked with agony and fear. Fear of him. Fear of the monster that stands before him. Viperish Night stares into those eyes, and then slashes Valsvis across the throat, the blood spraying into the air and Valsvis falls, dead to the sands.  
The crowd roars and Viperish Night's eyes snap up to them, filling with bottomless depths of rage. They should be down here with him. Their blood should soak the sands, drown it. Valsvis's blood drops from his claws and he looks down at the drops on the ground. So very much blood. He raises his head to look at Valsvis. The man who took so much from him, who took his Rishima is so much ruined meat. And for a moment, just for a moment, Viperish Night feels something he has not felt in a very long time. His eyes widen and the blood dripping from his claws suddenly seems magnified and what he has done finally sinks in. Viperish Night takes a step back as the chills course down his spine. No madness gripped him. He never once was out of control, never once lost in a fog of rage. He just wanted Valsvis to suffer, it became all he could see. Everything else was lost in the dark. And suffer he did. His screams still seem to echo. Viperish Night backs away from Valsvis and then turns and runs for the gate and through it, running from the bloodthirsty screams of the crowd and the blood-soaked sands.


	31. Act 2 - The Sting of Obsession

Viperish Night stands in the gladiator's quarters hallway. He had been walking to the bath in a haze when a familiar voice stops him. "Viperish Night." He turns his head and Titumus stands at the door his haggard eyes locked on Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night looks down at his claws his head swimming. "I..." he trails off. There is so very much blood.  
"Turn around and look at me," Titumus says softly. Viperish Night slowly turns around. "What did you do," Titumus says.  
The world seems to swim as Viperish Night stares at his friend. "I killed Valsvis." he hisses.  
Titumus stares right back. "You did not have to kill him that way."  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. "You know what he did. What he took from me!"  
"Viperish Night!" Titumus snaps, causing Viperish Night to step back a pace. "You butchered him, tortured him. You made his death agonizing."  
"He never showed me mercy." Viperish Night hisses angrily. "He never showed Rishima or Denros mercy. Or any of the other slaves he hurt and killed. Why should I have given him mercy, when he did not deserve it!"  
"Because you are better than him," Titumus says. "Or at least I thought you were."  
Viperish Night reels back in shock. "Titumus..." he says weakly.  
"Tell me you lost control," Titumus says. "Tell me you were lost in madness and pain and had no real idea of what you were doing."  
Viperish Night looks down. The blood streaking his claws, his scales. He remembers the early days of the arena. The fog of near madness that covered him, drove him to fight like a rabid animal. This... what he had just done was not that. He killed in icy rage and hatred, not fiery anger and berserk rage. He let the icy river take him and nearly drive him into the abyss. Slowly he raises his head to look at his friend. One thing he cannot do is lie. He cannot give Titumus what he wants. "I knew what I was doing." Viperish Night slowly says. "I was trying. And then all I wanted was to make him suffer, so I did."  
"Viperish Night, what you did... how you did it, do you have any idea what it could do to you? What you could become?" Titumus asks.  
Viperish Night looks at Titumus in confusion. "All I am is a slave, Titumus. There is no road out, save for death." Viperish Night starts to say something else, but a thought pauses him. What he felt at the end of the fight, did he imagine it? He had not felt it for a very long time, since before he came to this accursed place. Without thinking his claws touch the collar around his neck.  
Titumus freezes. "Viperish Night did it..."  
Viperish Night hisses. "Of course not. It never comes off, it never will." The collar around his neck has been there so long, it has become a part of him. A part he has at times hated, and other times been oddly grateful for.  
"And if it does? What will you be?" Titumus asks.  
What will he be? Chills rack Viperish Night as he thinks back to something he said to Fernthorn. That he fears the day he fails. But he has not failed. Yes, he let the river wash over him, but he backed away in the end. In the end, all he can do is look at Titumus. He has no answer.  
"One more question," Titumus says. "If you could do it over, would you kill Valsvis the same way?"  
"Yes!" The answer just bursts out of Viperish Night without thought.  
Titumus's face darkens. "You don't regret it at all, do you?"  
"Why should I?" Viperish Night hisses. "Valsvis deserved it! He deserved worse! They all deserve..." He trails off.  
"Valsvis deserved death," Titumus says. "But no one deserves the kind of death you gave him." He starts to ask something else then stops and just sighs looking tired. "I fear for you, Viperish Night. If you truly do not regret this...May the divines have mercy on you." He turns and walks into his room leaving Viperish Night standing out in the hallway.  
Viperish Night stares at Titumus's door. His friend seemed to have lost all faith in him. Confusion crosses his face. Is this all it took then? Viperish Night turns his head swimming as he walks away from Titumus and into the bath. 

The hot water surges all around Viperish Night as he lies at the bottom of the bath, the water washing away the blood. His shoulder and side hurt, but he could not stand the thought of anyone touching him right now. The way he killed Valsvis plays before his eyes over and over again. Titumus's accusatory words echo in his head. Despite the heat of the bath Viperish Night is wracked with chills.  
Zan'tabe walks into the bath and sits near the one Viperish Night is immersed in. "Zan'tabe overheard a little of what Titumus said. He was too harsh... This one thinks you... well, that was..." he sighs. "Zan'tabe is still here for you, my friend."  
Fernthorn is the next to come in, she moves to the far wall and sits, arms curled around her legs. "Come back to us, Viperish Night," she says softly. "I told you there were enough monsters. You can still come back."  
Qa'Dar walks in next and sits by Fernthorn. "Qa'Dar is here too. This one is not sure what to say besides that. Qa'Dar's words fail."  
Kigum-dar is the last to walk in. He shakes his head at Zan'tabe. "Titumus will not answer," he says. "Rayrl and Israean will not come, either. This one is not sure why." He sits on the other side of the bath.  
"Titumus will come around," Zan'tabe says. "None of us have given up on any gladiator, we will not start now.  
Viperish Night can hear his friends from the bath. Their words soothe him, though his mind remains in turmoil. One thought is foremost in his mind. He does not regret it. Should he? The lines of what's right and what's wrong blur in this place and tonight seems to have blurred them to the point he can hardly tell. Za'gh and Fernthorn have killed brutally as well but as he thinks back on all their fights, he realizes one thing. Yes, they fought as monsters, one in actuality and one in pretend, but they did not drag out the matches, they did not cause undue suffering upon their foes, and the killing blow was swift and just, even if some of their foes ended up in their bellies. Even when he was killing in half madness, he never did to any foe, what he did to Valsvis. The thought threatens to tear him apart, made all the worse in that he still did not regret it. How could he feel this way? He finally rises from the bath to look at his concerned friends. He lowers his head as water drips from his scales.  
"I do not regret it. I should." Viperish Night quietly says. "I slip into the darkness and it is all I can do to hang on."  
"We are here for you, no matter what," Zan'tabe says.  
"Not Titumus." Viperish Night says, raising his head. "I failed him, and I cannot even say sorry, because I am not! I should be and I am not!"  
"Titumus is here for you," Zan'tabe says firmly. "He needs time, he is unwell but refuses to consult Mosien. He will realize you need him and he was too harsh with you."  
"You tried" Fernthorn adds. "I saw you tried, you kept your promise." she pauses for a moment. "I will not fight as I did before. I am just a pretend monster, and I no longer want to be that. I don't want you to be a monster either, fight with us. Fight to be as you want to be."  
"This one is here for you," Kigum-dar says. "Warriors and brothers and sisters stand together. You have done nothing to betray us. Just lost your footing."  
"You scared Qa'Dar!" Qa'Dar says. "But this one does not run from you. So do not run from us."  
Viperish Night nods tiredly. "I will try still. All of you...is how I hold on."  
"Zan'tabe says get some rest. This one will send for Mosien to take care of your back and side."

Rayrl and Israean watch from the doorway, unknown to the others. Rayrl is the first to go and Israean follows her to her room. "I sense nothing," she says quietly.  
Israean leans against the door. "Are you sure of what you sensed?" he asks her.  
Rayrl shakes her head. "I am unsure. Less than a heartbeat of time. You know I never pursued the magical arts."  
"You would have if things had gone differently," Israean says thoughtfully.  
"There is no use in what-ifs, Brother," Rayrl says. "Even if I did sense magic around Viperish Night, it is no longer there. The collar is fully functioning in that regard. I must be wrong." 

Viperish Night is at the window, his injuries having at last been tended to. The night sky is dark and heavy with clouds. He touches the bars with one clawed hand. Did he feel what he thought he felt? And if so how? Why? He rests his head against the bars. It must have just been his imagination. Viperish Night softly sighs. His soul feels torn asunder, he is cast adrift in the rapids. And this time, he leaped in on his own. All he wanted was that monster to suffer. How could one single desire cause this kind of darkness? He has done something very wrong, he knows this. But he still does not regret it. He is through blaming himself, beating himself up. Thjonwulf was right about that. Finally, he lies down and sleeps comes far easier than he thought it would.

_Viperish Night's eyes open to the glowing blue of necromantic light. Stalks-in-Darkness is standing before him, his eyes glowing in the light. Silently he moves closer to Viperish Night until he's side by side with him, and he puts his claws on Viperish Night's shoulder. "It felt good, did it not Viperish Night?" he whispers. "Finally making someone suffer who has done so much to hurt you. Being strong enough to bring utter fear in Valsvis's eyes as he slowly, painfully died."  
Viperish Night's eye focuses on Stalks-in-Darkness, and he does not say a word.  
Stalks-in-Darkness circles Viperish Night. "Is he the only one who should suffer?"  
The crowds who cheer, cheer for his death, or for him to kill for them. Viperish Night's eyes narrow slightly. Bad thoughts. Very very bad thoughts.  
Stalks-in-Darkness smiles. "I thought as much." he stops in front of Viperish Night. "This is the last time I will disturb your dreams," he says. "The next time we meet, it will be face to face. You will eventually seek me out."  
Viperish Night finally speaks. "Why would I do that?" he snarls. Then he thinks about it and his eyes narrow more. Is Stalks-in-Darkness one he wishes to kill? One he should hunt?  
Stalks-in-Darkness laughs. "You will seek me out, Viperish Night. For that reason, or another. I have given you what you need to find me." he turns from Viperish Night. "Remember one more thing. Go back to the place you were hatched as well." The lights fade and all goes dark._

A few days later Viperish Night is training with Kigum-dar, the other gladiators sparing around him. He glances at Titumus once, then focuses on his training. He has not spoken a word to him since that night. He is the only one treating him so differently, although Rayrl and Israean gave him a strange look before settling into the normal routine.

"Titumus" Zan'tabe says, who's sparing with him. "You must speak to him. He is our friend, he needs guidance. Not just harsh words."  
"I know," Titumus says.  
"You know he was hurting." Zan'tabe continues. "And there is no telling what nonsense Thjonwulf filled his head with."  
"If only," Titumus says, looking toward Viperish Night. At Zan'tabe's questioning glance Titumus's gaze comes back to him. "If that was the case, he would show regret or remorse over it. Over brutally torturing Valsvis in the arena. He does not regret what he has done."  
Zan'tabe is quiet for a few moments. "He knows what he did was wrong, Titumus. It may not be the same as regretting it, but he at least knows that. And it was Valsvis, a man who took much from him. His hatred of Valsvis, the shock of what he learned drove him to do it." Zan'tabe insists.  
Titumus's eyes turn back to Viperish Night, studying him. The hatred he saw in Viperish Night's eyes that night. It was focused solely on Valsvis but when Valsvis was dead it did not fade but seemed to swell as Viperish Night's eyes looked onto the spectators.  
"What is it, my friend?" Zan'tabe asks seeing Titumus's troubled gaze.  
Titumus tiredly shakes his head. "Nothing. Your right." Titumus walks over to Viperish Night and Kigum-dar, who pause in their training. Kigum-dar nods, and moves to Zan'tabe to give them space.  
Viperish Night turns to look at Titumus, his friend's words from the other night still stung. He wants to look away but Thjonwulf's words echo in his head. He is not a sheep, though perhaps he once was.  
"You've changed," Titumus says, noticing the slight change in Viperish Night's stance.  
"I no longer blame myself for failing to do what I could not possibly do." Viperish Night says. "Its monsters like Valsvis that are the ones to blame. For Rishima, and so very much more."  
"And if you face another monster in the arena?" Titumus asks.  
Viperish Night slowly shakes his head. "I do not know. I know it was wrong, I know I will never regret it, and I know I will try not to again. I always try. I just..." Viperish Night trails off, words failing him. His eyes seem lost as he searches Titumus's gaze.  
Titumus takes a deep breath. "You must try, Viperish Night. You must not become like...." he trails off.  
"Like who?" Viperish Night hisses.  
Titumus shakes his head. "Forgive me, I should not have said that."  
Viperish Night realized something at that moment, he stares at Titumus. "You are afraid of me." Viperish Night says. Valsvis had been afraid of him too. So very afraid.  
"Not of you, of what if," Titumus says.  
Viperish Night suddenly growls. "There are no what-ifs!" He growls again and then sighs. "All I wanted after I learned what Valsvis did... that he was the reason why she died, was to talk to you. But I had to have Valsvis! I had to. And after..." Viperish Night trails off again, looking a little lost. "You wanted nothing to do with me after." Viperish Night steps back from Titumus and his eyes narrow. "You look at me as if I am a monster. As if I'll hurt you, the others. I just wanted to hurt Valsvis! Not any of my friends! That will not change, even if you do not believe me." Viperish Night hisses and darts for the door, slamming it closed behind him.  
Titumus sighs again. "Damn it..."  
Zan'tabe looks over at Titumus. "That could have gone better."  
Fernthorn halts her training with Qa'Dar and slips out the door following Viperish Night.

Viperish Night paces in the hallway and suddenly halts as the front door opens and Thjonwulf walks in. His eyes fall on Viperish Night and he walks toward him. "You look a little angry, my Savage one.  
Viperish Night growls softly and then looks at the training door. He relied on Titumus this past year so much, they had become friends. He trusts him, and it hurts to know that he cannot even speak with him any longer without it going utterly wrong.  
"The Imperial," Thjonwulf says and laughs when Viperish Night's head snaps around. "He liked you better before you figured out you are a wolf."  
"That's not it!" Viperish Night snaps. "He just..." Viperish Night stops at Thjonwulf's growl.  
"Do not make excuses for others." Thjonwulf growls. "If he has a problem with you as you are, that's on him, not you."  
Viperish Night's expression grows troubled. Others always wanted him to be something else. He thought Titumus was different. He had to be. "It was just this once." Viperish Night says.  
"Is that what you want, or what he wants?" Thjonwulf says.  
Fernthorn darted into one of the rooms when she saw Thjonwulf, and is listening in to the two talking. "Damn it Viperish Night," she whispers. "Do not listen to that mutt." She takes a deep breath and walks into the hallway. "Viperish Night, come train with me!" she calls and he turns to look at her.  
Thjonwulf's eyes focus on hers then shrugs. "I need to talk to all the gladiators anyway," he says.  
The three return to the training room and training pauses as Thjonwulf follows Fernthorn and Viperish Night in.  
"Gladiators!" Thjonwulf says. "The five-year celebration is next month. Therefore, no games this month. But many games next month!"

In the dining hall, Zan'tabe is explaining. "Every five years the arena has a celebration. It started long before this one's time." Zan'tabe says. "This one did not think they would hold it again. But it's here!"  
"Kigum-dar was at the last one," Kigum-dar says. "As was Za'gh, and others, now fallen. Kigum-dar's first arena match was during the celebration."  
"I did not think they would hold it this year," Titumus says. "The Ebonheart pact must have moved onto another region to patrol."  
"So many matches," Qa'Dar says. "We will be too tired to move!"  
"They will not have us in all the fights," Kigum-dar says. "Gladiators from other lands will fight us yes, but also fight each other. It's a spectacle."

The night before the celebration is to start, Viperish Night is at the window, unable to sleep. He has not been back in the arena since Valsvis. His relationship with Titumus is still strained, though things have returned to normal. But was it normal, or was just that the surface calm, and below rapids raged? As Viperish Night stares into the night he realizes something. He had come to accept this life. Being with his friends, training, battling for the bloodthirsty crowd. It had become his life, his whole world. But after killing Valsvis the way he did... that world was shaken. But it could not remain so. There was no way out save for death, and Stalks-in-Darkness had mocked that. Viperish Night turns from the window and walks into the hallways to stalk them until he's tired enough to sleep.  
"You must keep your senses open tomorrow."  
Viperish Night pauses by Rayrl and Israean's door, they too are up. He is about to quietly go back to his room when Rayrl's answer shocks him to a stop.  
"I will, Israean" Rayrl answers. "But I told you, I must have been mistaken. I have never once sensed magic around Viperish Night, the collar prevents that. How it could have been... I will say it again, I was mistaken."  
Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock. He thought he imagined it. He thought it was just a memory from a time that seems very long ago. He should go in. He should speak to them of it. But something stops him. Rayrl and Israean never mentioned this to him. And after he killed Valsvis, they had kept their distance unlike the rest of his friends. His eyes narrow and he quietly returns to his room.  
In his room, Viperish Night paces back and forth growling to himself. What could he have done to cause this? Did this collar... could it... Viperish Night snarls and slams his fist against the wall. Not once in all the time has he been here has this happened. He cannot think it will just break. And even if he did, what would he do then? He could not possibly escape, could he? Escape this life, this island with his friends? Viperish Night leans against the wall, breathing heavily. The ground is crumbling around him, he wants out. He accepted this life, but now he wants out. How??? He could not even ask Stalks-in-Darkness, for he had told Viperish Night he would never enter his dreams again. Viperish Night starts to shake. Stalks-in-Darkness, he must know that Viperish Night was close to something. Viperish Night slides to the ground closing his eyes. Thinking back to every time Stalks-in-Darkness had come to him, everything he had said to him. Viperish Night's eyes bolt open and chills run through his body. Break your bonds. Stalks-in-Darkness had said this to him on more than one occasion. Viperish Night had dismissed Stalks-in-Darkness's words as Stalks-in-Darkness trying to drive him mad or turn him into a monster. But... Viperish Night's eyes flood with confusion. Why would Stalks-in-Darkness let his former mentor sell him out to the Dunmer, then encourage him to break free? And as Viperish Night thinks back to all those nightmares, he realizes that Stalks-in-Darkness thinks he can. Thinks he can break free, not just metaphorically but in actuality. "There is a way to release the collar" he breaths, his eyes wide. But what is it? All the times Viperish Night has killed, the blood that his claws are soaked with not once has anything happened. Not even when he murdered that Orc over a year ago. Only when he fought Valsvis. Viperish Night frowns, thinking. He never killed anyone in that way before. It was very wrong, and yet for a brief moment, he could feel his magic again. Viperish Night's claws move to his collar. What did Stalks-In-Darkness say the very last time he came to Viperish Night? Submit to the icy river. His hand falls and the chills grow and he clenches his eyes shut. That is not the way to escape. It's the wrong way to do things. Viperish Night moves and lies on the floor quaking until sleep takes him.

Viperish Night quietly eats his food, his thoughts troubled from what he finally figured out last night. A way to escape, but it was not something he could ever do. Valsvis...Valsvis had hurt him so much he could with him. But even then, in the end, he stopped and ran from what he did. He slowly puts his food down and starts to look at his friends. Fernthorn is somehow content to stay here with her family until she falls in the arena. Kigum-dar has a family that he thinks he will never see again, as does Zan'tabe. Rayrl and Israean and Titumus have nothing to return to, but they cannot be content to stay here until they fall in the arena. Qa'Dar will be happy as long as he is with Fernthorn. Viperish Night tilts his head. "Do you want to go home?" he suddenly says.  
Every single gladiator stops eating and falls silent at Viperish Night's question. It's not one that is ever asked, and their eyes show confusion at him asking that, but in many longing. Kigum-dar suddenly gets up and walks out of the room. Fernthorn picks up a roll and chucks it at his head. "Viperish Night!"  
"That was not nice, Viperish Night," Qa'Dar says. "You made Kigum-Dar run away."  
Viperish Night gets up. "...I did not get enough sleep.," he says and runs out of the room too. 

Viperish Night runs right into Kigum-dar, and freezes. The Pahmar regards him. "This one is not sure why you asked such a thing," Kigum-dar says. "You know the pain it causes."  
"Death is the only escape" Viperish Night hisses. "I know."  
"Then why ask?" Kigum-dar says, a great sadness in his eyes. "You know the answer."  
Viperish Night looks down. He does, everyone would want to escape this life, this slavery. Even Fernthorn, if she could go with her family would. "Apologies" Viperish Night says and quickly walks away leaving a hurt and puzzled Kigum-dar behind.  
The door is unlocked and Viperish Night walks outside in the grass. The arena is in the distance, he will fight tonight as will some of his friends. Fight for the ones who keep them bond, in which the only escape is death. But why should it be theirs? The world swims and Viperish Night tries to drive the bad thoughts away. 

"The first night of a month-long event of fights!" Thjonwulf roars. "You will see all my gladiators fight, and more than that, gladiators from all over Nirn! The first match is the battle of the lizards, my Savage Argonian vs Beast-Of-Swamp!"

The crowd is roaring and Viperish Night walks out of the gate, swords in his hands. His hands tremble and he looks up at Beast-Of-Swamps, he's very large for an Argonian. Thjonwulf's words suddenly pop into his head. Do you hate Argonian's? Viperish Night grips the swords trying to push the thoughts away. He promised he would try. But... he could perhaps break free, set his friends free. Was that not worth a broken promise? Viperish Night stares into Beast-Of-Swamps eyes and snarls. He surges forward as does Beast-Of-Swamps with a bellow. The two meet, Viperish Night's swords clashing with Beast-Of-Swamps's rather large claws. Viperish Night's heart beats wildly, he can hardly concentrate, he has to concentrate. He has to...His eyes narrow and he snarls and slides under Beast-Of-Swamps's powerful swipe and slashes both swords across the backs of Beast-Of-Swamps's legs. Beast-Of-Swamps roars and falls, struggling to get back up. Viperish Night turns around and just stares at Beast-Of-Swamps for a few long moments before his ragged breath calms. Argonian's despise him. He should hate them all. His eyes glimmer with ice and he runs forward and slashes Beast-Of-Swamps's arms before turning around and slashing his legs. Beast-Of-Swamps is trying to get up. He will not get up. Viperish Night is a blur of speed as he slashes the swords over and over, the blood flying up and Beast-Of-Swamps's roars turning to screams. Finally, Beast-Of-Swamps's eyes roll up and he collapses to the ground, twitching a few times before dying.  
The crowd roars at the sheer brutality of the fight. Viperish Night's narrowed eyes stare at the crowd, sheer hate in his eyes. For a brief moment, he can feel it, feel it calling to him. A siren song of death.  
"VIPERISH NIGHT."  
Viperish Night's head turns to the pit and the feeling fades as Fernthorn is trying to climb out of the pit, only Qa'Dar is holding her back from doing so. Viperish Night steps back the swords nearly falling from his hands. How can he say it's for her, for all of them that he has done this? He turns and leaves the arena shaking. The thought of heading into the pit, having to look into his friend's eyes. They will want to know why he did this. He cannot tell them why, they would talk him out of it, or try. He wants to return to his room, but a shadow stops him. He looks up to see Thjonwulf has come down to speak with him.  
"So you have decided to be the wolf and not the sheep. And not just for that damn Dunmer you slaughtered."  
Viperish Night cannot speak of why he did this to Thjonwulf either. He is their slave master, he keeps them bound to this blood-filled life. Slowly he growls.  
Thjonwulf grins. "You know you cannot leave. Go to the pit. If your friends cannot accept you as you are, are they your friends?"  
Viperish Night growls louder. "I would do anything for them," he says.  
"Almost anything," Thjonwulf says. "It's always almost. Trust me on that. Now go."  
Viperish Night turns to go, then stops. He should not ask this. He must. He has done something very wrong, twice. What he wants to ask will make it so much easier to keep doing it. "Can you put me with more Argonians? Orcs and Dunmer, if there are any of those?"  
Thjonwulf laughs. "Got a taste for their blood, my Savage Argonian? I will see what I can do."  
Viperish Night walks away and heads into the pit. He sits, his eyes tracking his friends. Rayrl is looking at him strangely again, she must have felt the same thing he did, and her brother is looking at her. Fernthorn is next to Qa'Dar, she glances at him in confusion. Titumus gives him a cold look and shakes his head before turning around. The rest of the gladiators are behind gates, awaiting their matches. 

Fernthorn finds him before his next match a couple of days later. He had been avoiding his friends in all the chaos of the celebration. "Viperish Night, why?" she asks him as he pauses at the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the gate, the arena. Viperish Night freezes and turns his head to look at her. "Trust me." he hisses and turns his head back, walking down the tunnel.  
"Trust you? What?" Fernthorn yells after him. 

Thjonwulf has found a Dunmer for him. Viperish Night's eyes focus on the Dunmer whose gladiator name is Twisting Death. His dark skin, his eyes. Valsvis blurs in front of Viperish Night's eyes and he lets it. It will make this easier.  
The fight is a whirlwind of blades and blood. Twisting Death is an expert with the twin blades and manages to disarm Viperish Night. Breathing hard with various shallow cuts, Viperish Night suddenly dives at Twisting Death then rolls. The blades pass over his head as he surges up and snaps his jaws on Twisting Death's right wrist, shattering it. The blade falls on the ground and Viperish Night pushes the attack, slamming him to the ground. The second blade goes flying and Viperish Night slams his fist into the Dunmer's head before leaping up. Twisting Death slowly rises. Viperish Night stares at him shaking. He must... this thing is just one of those Dunmer, just like Valsvis. Viperish Night's claws and fists descend on Twisting Death until he is just a bloody corpse.  
Viperish Night breaths hard and raises his head. Just like before he can feel it, but just like before just for a heartbeat till he fades. He howls before calming himself and returns to the pit once more to the confused and worried eyes of his friends. He cannot meet their eyes. Any attempt by them to talk to him ends only in Viperish Night's angry hisses.

Viperish Night is in the bath, he came in after the others were done. He sinks to the bottom, the water cleaning the blood from his scales. Always so very much blood. He cannot continue like this, but he must. Why won't it work? He kills just as he killed Valsvis. Why is it not enough? What is he doing so very wrong? It's been nearly two weeks of this. Two weeks of brutal fights in which he takes his time killing his foes. The faces blur together until it's just a swirl of red. His friends are busy with their matches, but they have tried to talk to him. Their eye's so full of confusion hurt and fear. Titumus is the only one who does not attempt to speak to him, he just watches every one of Viperish Night's matches with hard eyes. 

It comes to a head the next night, after the fights when the gladiators are sleeping, for the most part. Rayrl and Israean are speaking in soft tones in Rayrl's room when Titumus suddenly opens the door and walks in. "What do you know?" Titumus asks bluntly. His eyes are bloodshot and bandages cover his chest and shoulder. He had been wounded in his last match and he should not have been. Tiredness and worry clouded his mind and he faltered. It's bad enough he will not fight till the end of the week.  
Rayrl and Israean are silent at first, shocked by the sudden intrusion. "I could be mistaken." Rayrl finally says.  
"Tell me," Titumus demands.  
"I thought perhaps I could sense magic within Viperish Night. Only for a heartbeat. I must be mistaken but..." Rayrl trails off.  
"The way Viperish Night is fighting," Israean says. "It is as if he is chasing something, regardless of the dark it takes him into."  
Titumus goes still and the color drains from his face. He turns and runs out and stops at Viperish Night's door, banging on it. "Wake up Viperish Night. NOW." he thunders.  
Doors are opening and the gladiators stream out. "Has Titumus gone mad?" Qa'Dar asks yawning.  
"This one thinks it's about time," Zan'tabe says. "Viperish Night will not speak to us, perhaps he needs someone to yell at him. Before it's too late." The rest of them go silent. They have seen their friend fight these past two weeks. Brutally with no mercy. After promising to try, he has forsaken that promise for reasons they cannot fathom.  
Viperish Night opens the door. He had been sleeping but it had been restless, dreams of blood and pain and then he felt himself drown. He struggles to meet Titumus's gaze.  
"Why, Viperish Night?" Titumus asks. "Rayrl told me what she thinks your doing.  
Viperish Night freezes, his claws moving to the collar around his neck. He never intended to tell them...and since he kept failing... "I can get it off! I know I can!" he suddenly hisses. "Then I can get us out of here."  
"Not this way!" Titumus shouts. "How could you think any of us would want it if this is the cost? You will destroy yourself, and more besides."  
Viperish Night's eyes dart from him to his friends. The question in his eyes, and a sense of being utterly lost.  
"Many are slaves like us, Viperish Night," Zan'tabe says. "They do not deserve this. Zan'tabe knows you know this, my friend."  
"I do not need it!" Fernthorn yells. "I already told you that!"  
"You will destroy yourself, Viperish Night." Kigum-dar adds "We do not want that."  
"I do not wish to be freed by the same magic that destroyed my family," Rayrl says coldly. "My brother agrees with me."  
"Qa'Dar..." Qa'Dar trails off and looks at Fernthorn. "There are worse fates."  
"You will die here." Viperish Night says softly. "We all will die here." he sags against the doorway as if the will to keep standing has left him. "I am tired of being bound, tired of this. Tired of knowing you will die and all they will do is cheer."  
Zan'tabe hurries to his side. "Not this way, my friend. There is still time to stop this."  
Viperish Night leans against Zan'tabe. "I want out. I want all of you out," he says. "I can feel it. Just out of my grasp..."  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says. "Stop. Before it is too late to turn back." Titumus turns and heads back to his room.  
Rayrl stares at Viperish Night before turning to return to her room, and her brother returns to his.  
Fernthorn hurries to Viperish Night's side as well, looking up at Zan'tabe. "We will stay with him," Zan'tabe says. "Kigum-dar and Qa'Dar, return to your rooms. Try and get some sleep."  
Viperish Night is near limp as Zan'tabe lies him on his bed and both he and Fernthorn sit next to him. Viperish Night shuts his eyes tightly, but he cannot hide from the images playing back in his mind. The fights this month, what he has done. Obsession gripped him, he thought he had a way out, but it seems like just an illusion now. No matter how hard he has tried to grasp it. He must be missing something, but he has no idea what and he cannot bear to keep trying, not if this is the result. He shivers. "...I am sorry," he whispers.  
Fernthorn starts to stroke his feathered mane. At Zan'tabe's look, she shrugs. "My mom used to stroke my hair when I was younger. When I was scared." She softly sighs. "We all get lost sometimes," Fernthorn says. "I ate people why they cheered, so I could pretend the pain away."  
"Zan'tabe acts like it does not matter when it does. This one means being here. Zan'tabe's head gets dark sometimes. This one does not share this." Zan'tabe lies down by Viperish Night.  
The warmth of Zan'tabe and the soft feel of Fernthorn's hands finally lures Viperish Night to sleep.


	32. Act 2 - May the Divine's Have Mercy

In the pit nearly a week later Viperish Night watches as Qa'Dar fights a wily Bosmer. The fight is a crazy mix of leaps and bounds, quick charges, and retreats. It's a dance of speed and agility. Viperish Night has not fought all week, having fought so much the past two weeks. If he had... the temptation was still in him. To chase an invisible thread into the dark, no matter what he has to do. Chills run down him as he looks at his friends. He had done so very many things wrong this month. Went diving into the dark chasing freedom. For them, and him. But it was the wrong way. He knows this, always knew this, but something in him kept driving him after it. And yet, most of his friends stayed by his side. Willing to offer him a way out of the dark, and back into the light. As he looks at his friends, then turns back to the fight something else comes to mind, but he pushes it out of his head. Stalks-in-Darkness, his former mentor, they all were wrong. It was not any kind of weakness to have people who cared to rely on. Nothing is worth it without his friends, so he has to give it up. He has hurt them far too much already.

~/~  
Titumus paces in his small room. He is paired with Viperish Night tomorrow, both of them have not fought this week. Zan'tabe seems sure he has reached Viperish Night, but Titumus's worry is evident. Valsvis, every single match this month. He had not fathomed Viperish Night was capable of that level of brutality. Yes, he fought savagely when he first came, but that was fiery rage and a mind teetering on the brink of madness. But this, this was something else. Valsvis seemed to have broken something in Viperish Night. Something that kept him from doing the unspeakable. It filled Titumus with untold horror that all the brutality this month was a result of Viperish Night trying to break the collar. Trying to access magic he had seemed to despise, said he never wanted it again. It seemed like utter madness, but Titumus had seen Viperish Night's eyes. Darkness swirled in them, and anything of the light seemed lost. Finally, Titumus sighs and lies down. Trying to sleep. Praying the past leaves him alone, for one night.

_"General Titumus." Titumus glances at the soldier who had run in, a heavy sigh running through him.  
"They have come for us then," Titumus says.  
"Yes, General. The Zero legion... they have Daedra and Necromancers with them. More... more than we can defeat."  
Titumus turns his back, hands folded behind his back. They had rescued a score of Imperial Citizens when they had been ordered to bring them to the Daedra for unspeakable purposes. The Plane-meld had taken the Imperial City and the surrounding countryside was utter chaos. The three allegiances were making forays into the outskirts, and unless someone stopped the Plane-meld, the whole of Cyrodiil and the rest of Nirn would be devoured by Molag Bal's realm. His scouts had reported enemy scouts along their flanks, and so he set up camp and set the citizens ahead. Hopefully to some semblance of safety, but they needed more time to getaway. They needed General Titumus and his men to hold the line. Worry lines crease his forehead. There were far too many to fight. He would be asking his men to die here. He turns to his solder. "Sound the alarms. Prepare to fight. And... let the men know there will be no consequences for running."  
"None of us will run." the soldier says, before leaving.  
The battle is utter chaos. Titumus's men fight bravely, and Titumus fights side by side with them. They will fall this day, but they will fall doing what is right. Swords clash against the swords of the Zero Legion, the undead summoned from the necromancers swell the enemy ranks, the Daedra come from all sides. And one by one, Titumus's men fall under swords, claws, and hordes of the undead.  
A stillness overtakes the battlefield when it is all said and done. Bodies lie where they fell, blood soaks the grass a dark red. The heavens open up and rain starts to fall. Titumus is lying on the ground among his men, a deep gash in his side among numerous other injuries, his helmet torn off sometime during the battle, and blood coats his head. His eyes flicker open as footsteps approach. "So you live."  
Titumus's eyes flick to all that he can see. He lives, but his men lie dead. And now, he is here. The monster who caused all this. Titumus struggles, but cannot bring himself to rise to face this monster. "Mannimarco..." he whispers. "Damn you to Oblivion..." Zero Legion soldiers grab his arms and drag him through the mud and blood and the pain engulfs him and all fades to black.  
When again Titumus wakes he is on his knees, arms bound behind him in heavy chains. He raises his head, his eyes filling with hatred as Mannimarco walks toward him. "You should have fallen in line." the Necromancer hisses. "You could have had such power. Most of the Imperial Legion's came over to our side."  
"Kill me and get it over with," Titumus says.  
"That was the plan. A grand melee and all of you worms would be crushed beneath our boots. But you lived." Mannimarco laughs. "You will be punished. But not by execution. You are to be made an example of." he moves closer to Titumus and grabs his face, looking into his eyes. "Your family must be like you. We can not have that. They will be executed in a few days as traitors."  
Titumus's eyes fill with horror and he wrenches his face from Mannimarco's grip. "I did this on my own. They did not know of this. YOU know this."  
"What do I know?" Mannimarco says stepping back. "Your fate will be to live with the knowledge of what your treachery cost you. You will be sold into slavery, far from here. The Dunmer I believe. Though the Daedra will take their place once the Plane-Meld is completed. You will suffer greatly."  
"I am not the traitor," Titumus says, agonizing pain in his eyes as they drag him away..._

Titumus bolts right up in his bed. Dawn has yet to even arrive as he breaths raggedly. "Damn it," he says staggering up to the window. Why did he keep having this dream, this accursed memory night after night? By the Divines... were they trying to warn him?  
~/~

"This is the third week of our celebration!" cries Thjonwulf. "We celebrate the arena, the sands, THE BLOOD, AND CARNAGE! I know you loved the double matches this weekend, we have the final one of the night! Savage Argonian and the Traitor, VS Claws-to-Death and Brutal Carnage!"

Viperish Night stands tense on the other side of the gate. Titumus is near, he has not spoken to Viperish Night all week. He has not forgiven Viperish Night for what he has done. Not with Valsvis, not with the others. Viperish Night knows what he did was very very wrong, perhaps Titumus should not forgive him. But it still hurts.  
"Zan'tabe says he and the others reached you." Titumus suddenly says, staring straight ahead as they wait for the gate to rise. "Tell me that is the truth."  
Viperish Night glances at Titumus. The things he had done in the past month, driven by obsession and darkness. His intentions had not been bad...but what he did was. So very bad. He feels sick still. It was far too easy to get lost, and even though he lived it, he cannot believe what he had done at times. In the arena on the sands, an icy coldness had come over him, letting him do the monstrous. Was it really for freedom, or did some dark part of him wants the dark power now? The wolf inside of him...the predator the monster. It became far too easy to get lost. "I thought..." Viperish Night trails off. "I will stop," he says.  
"Necromancy is not the answer," Titumus says. "It never is. It is better to live and die in the arena than what you tried to do."  
Death, it always came down to death. Viperish Night closes his eyes briefly. To always live bound in chains until death came for them in the arena, and how hard would they cheer for that? All the ones who came to watch them kill or die for them? Viperish Night swallows and tries to push bad thoughts away. Hatred away. He's hanging on with his claws, but barely. He has to start trying again. 

Brutal Carnage slams the heavy club at Viperish Night who darts away, it hits the sand with a powerful blow. He swings, faster than Viperish Night thought he'd recover and clips Viperish Night's shoulder with the club. Viperish Night hits the sand but is up in an instant, slamming his shoulder into Brutal Carnage who flys into the sand hitting hard. He staggers up and Viperish Night seems to fly over the sand, his sword flashing across Brutal Carnage's throat, and in a spray of blood the Orc drops dead upon the sands.  
A grunt of pain causes Viperish Night to quickly spin around. Claws-to-Death got the upper hand on Titumus and with one blow Titumus falls onto the sands, blood pouring from his neck. Viperish Night freezes. Despite his cold attitude, his painful words, Titumus is Viperish Night's friend. And the Argonian killed him! Viperish Night's eyes slide to icy coldness and he springs to Claws-to-Death, his blades flash down. Claws-to-Death spins and meets them with his claws, red with Titumus's blood. Thrusting the blades to the side Claws-to-Death surges forward headbutting Viperish Night. The two crash to the ground and Viperish Night loses his grip on the swords. Viperish Night snarls, his claws rake down the left side of Claws-to-Death's face slicing through his eye. Claws-to-Death screams and staggers away from Viperish Night then tenses, ready to charge him again.  
The world seems to freeze around Viperish Night. A lightning bolt in the sky is a blazing bolt that does not fade. The faintest trace of magic, calling like a siren song to him. Viperish Night's eyes widen. He must not, he promised. He said he would not. But Titumus is dead on the sands and it calls to him. Sings to him of freedom, of power. Of never being bound and helpless again.  
The lightning bolt fades and thunder booms as the rain starts to fall onto the arena. Viperish Night surges forward and his claws rake down the right side of Claws-to-Death's face, ruining the other eye as well, leaving Claws-to-Death blind and utterly at Viperish Night's mercy. Viperish Night snarls and his claws rip through scales and the flesh below over and over again even as Claws-to-Death staggers backward in pain and fear.  
"Stop..."  
Viperish Night pauses and his eyes move to the sands, Titumus struggles up, hand clutched at his neck. The Argonian's claws just missed his jugular. "End it now," Titumus says.  
Viperish Night knows he should stop. This is very very wrong. Titumus is not dead, just injured. He must have hit his head when Claws-to-Death's blow struck him. He trembles as rain pours from the sky, as thunder crashes and lightning flashes. "I can feel it," he says shakily. The icy river seems to wash over him, the rain, is it just the rain? He howls to the sky and turns back to Claws-to-Death and starts slashing him until Titumus pushes him to the ground and slices Claws-to-Death's neck with his sword, ending his suffering.  
Viperish Night staggers to his feet, the rain washing the blood from his scales and claws. He raises his head to the sky and howls in anger and anguish. It's gone again, always out of his grasp. Viperish Night lowers his head, and his eyes find the crowd and hatred fills them. If he killed the ones who scream for death, maybe then it would be in his grasp.  
"Viperish Night!" Titumus snaps and Viperish Night turns toward Titumus, the hatred leaving his eyes as he trembles.  
"I did not mean to..." Viperish Night says weakly. He starts to say something else but the lightning flashes and he stops. The look in Titumus's eyes. Viperish Night takes a step back.  
"Why do you seek it? And do not tell me you do not, or that it is for us."  
Viperish Night is at an utter loss. It is for them, to be free. But... ice flows down his spine as a new truth slips into his mind. One that had been in his mind this whole time, that he kept pushing aside, pretending it was not there. "I want to be strong." he finally says. "Strong enough to shatter these bonds and kill anyone who tries to bind me again!"  
"Viperish Night," Titumus says in a strangled voice. "How far will you go? How many would you destroy, kill for this?"  
Viperish Night's gaze fills with confusion and then the crowd roars again, they are puzzled as to why the two gladiators are still on the sands. They want something to happen, and thus they stay. Viperish Night's gaze once more moves to them. To be free he has to kill Thjonwulf. And every single slaver on this island, as well as those who came to cheer for this bloody carnage. His eyes move back to Titumus, and he does not attempt to answer his question. How can he, the answer that has presented itself to him is beyond thinking, and is very very wrong.  
Titumus takes a step back, horror in his gaze. He sees the answer in Viperish Night's eyes. "Would it stop here?" Titumus asks. "Or would you drown the world, Viperish Night?"  
"I...I do not know." Viperish Night says. People hurt him. Not just here, but out there. Out there in a world that had forgotten he even existed. Viperish Night starts shaking, suddenly so very cold.  
Titumus bows his head. "May the divines have mercy on both of us then," he says. Titumus withdraws his sword and raises his head. His eyes are cold as they lock onto Viperish Night. "Pick up your swords, Viperish Night. I will not strike you down unarmed."  
"Titumus, please." Viperish Night says.  
Titumus suddenly charges forward, he grabs Viperish Night's arm and throws him in the direction of his swords. "Pick them up. Do not force me to kill you without a fight!"

Thjonwulf suddenly shouts. "Well, this is unexpected! Has the traitor gone mad?" Thjonwulf furrows his brow as he stares down at the sands. It almost seems as if he is getting ready to leap down and stop this, but the crowd goes utterly wild over this shocking turn of events and Thjonwulf stays his hand. "Well, what the crowd wants the crowd gets!" He shouts.

Viperish Night's claws curl around his swords as he staggers up. Titumus is circling him, forcing Viperish Night to circle as well. "Why?" Viperish Night snarls.  
"If you have to ask..." Titumus says. "You are farther gone than I thought."  
Titumus strikes then and Viperish Night narrowly dodges. Even in his wounded tired state, Titumus is an expert swordsman with more years of experience than Viperish Night. Viperish Night's blades clash on Titumus's sword. Viperish Night remains on the defensive, his mind still reeling. How could his friend be trying to kill him? Titumus quickly gets the upper hand, striking one blade from Viperish Night's grip and forcing him ever backward. Eventually, Viperish Night hits the arena wall, bleeding from the numerous times Titumus has struck him. Viperish Night cannot bring himself to fight back, and Titumus stalks toward him. He's not going to back down. Viperish Night looks away, if this is the way it ends, he does not want to see it coming. He does not want the last thing he sees is his friend striking him down.  
"He has betrayed you. KILL HIM." A voice out of the blue, a voice only he can hear. He's heard it once before. Familiar and yet not. And a familiar sensation, he can feel it again.  
Viperish Night jerks to the side, Titumus's sword slams into the arena wall instead of his chest. Titumus turns to look at him as he pulls his sword from the wall, and in those eyes all Viperish Night sees is death. His eyes narrow. Another person who hurt him. Another person who betrayed him. Anger and pain fill Viperish Night's eyes. "You are nothing but a traitor." Viperish Night snarls at Titumus. Titumus pauses, a flash of pain in his eyes. Viperish Night snarls and at last starts to fight back. Lightning stabs and slashes with his remaining blade, Titumus's sword clashing with them. A few get through inflecting shallow cuts. Viperish Night roars and slams his blade through the air as hard as he can. Titumus swings and the blades collide, and Viperish Night's blade shatters. Titumus kicks him out into the sands, and Viperish Night quickly springs up, narrowly missing a killing blow. The next blow comes down, and Viperish Night's hand darts up and he grabs the sword blade, hissing in pain as it cuts into his hand. He hisses and wrenches the sword from Titumus's grasp, throwing it as far as he can. Viperish Night's eyes lock onto Titumus's and he leaps forward, his claws slicing across Titumus's armor. Titumus staggers back and Viperish Night presses. Pushed to the point of no return, betrayed in such a way, there is no more pauses, no more hesitation. His claws find flesh and Viperish Night rips through Titumus, until Titumus falls to the ground, his blood flowing from him even as the light starts to fade from his eyes.  
"Why..." Viperish Night says standing over him, his friend's blood dripping from his claws. "I never wanted this!"  
Titumus looks up at him, blood leaking from his mouth. "Because... I saw a necromancer nearly destroy Nirn already," he says weakly. "The darkness in your eyes will drown this world. I had to try and stop you. I... I did not want this either." A last rattle and Titumus's breathing stops, his eyes staring blindly up at the storm that rages overhead.  
Viperish Night backs up trembling. He felt it again, stronger than ever before. And then it faded because he did not want it this way! He did not want this. The crowd is roaring like a mighty waterfall and it seems to drown Viperish Night. He howls a scream of unbearable pain. "I DID NOT WANT THIS." But not a single person hears him over the roar of the crowd. Viperish Night looks at Titumus one last time, then runs out of the arena.

Viperish Night paces in his room, his eyes wild and filled with agony. He's still covered in his friend's blood. Titumus's blood. He howls and slumps to the ground shaking. Why? Why did this happen, why did Titumus think he meant the whole of Nirn to suffer? He did not want that, did he? He could not want that!  
The door opens and Viperish Night springs back up hissing. Zan'tabe stands there, an anguished expression on his face. "Viperish Night," Zan'tabe says.  
"He betrayed me!" Viperish Night hisses. "He thought I would destroy Nirn. Why would he think that?" Viperish Night holds up his claws in horror, covered in Titumus's blood. "I did not want this!"  
Zan'tabe looks at Viperish Night, the sadness evident in his eyes. "None of us wanted this," Zan'tabe says. "Titumus was driven by demons, as are many of us. This one did not know they had gotten so bad he would do this. But we are still here for you, my friend. We still will help you."  
Viperish Night narrows his eyes. "Get out." he snarls. "I will NEVER trust any of you again. And I do not want your help. Let me drown if I so wish it. It's better than being hurt and betrayed like this. He was my friend. I never would have hurt him. He never should have hurt me." Viperish Night's eyes are lost, confused, angry. So many emotions flashing through them. "Now get OUT."  
Zan'tabe lowers his head and backs out of the room. "Zan'tabe is sorry, more than you know, Viperish Night. Titumus should not have done this. None of us would!"  
"Titumus did." Viperish Night says coldly, and he grips the door and slams it in Zan'tabe's face.  
Viperish Night slides to the ground, arms around his knees as he looks out the window. The storm still rages, but its power is nothing compared to the one in Viperish Night's heart. This night has shattered everything inside of him, everything that was left to shatter. His eyes narrow as lightning flashes across the night sky and the rain pours down, it seems to want to drown the world. Viperish Night's eyes fill with utter ice as he stares at the storm. He would leave here, or he would die trying.


	33. Act 2 - Shattered Souls

A scream welling up inside, one without end. The only reason he did not let it out is that they would come. His friends, the very ones he no longer could trust. Viperish Night hisses, his eyes filled with utter rage and despair. It had been a mere two days since that stormy night. Since Titumus betrayed him. Titumus had been his friend, helped him through the madness that gripped him when he came here. He had been like a mentor to him...and just like the first mentor he had, Titumus had betrayed him. And so Viperish Night sits in the dark of his room, unable to sleep. Unable to calm his thoughts, the waves of rage and despair and confusion. Viperish Night looks at his claws, clean, but he can still see Titumus's blood upon them, still, feel it. His friend thought he was lost. That he was a monster, an abomination who would destroy the world, that the only solution was to kill him. Viperish Night's eyes narrow. His former mentor had told him to trust no one. That was one thing he had been right on. Viperish Night cared for people. Trusted them. And this was the result. People betrayed him, hurt him. Those that did not, died, forever beyond his reach. He had trusted Titumus and look where it got him! His friend dead set on ending him. Viperish Night having to kill him. He had in the end, refused to lie down and die. For a moment he almost became the sheep again, almost let Titumus strike him from this world. But the voice woke the wolf inside of him and all the hurt and rage inside of him melted together into an icy resolve to live and kill the betrayer. Viperish Night hangs his head down. He never wanted it to be that way. And on top of that the collar remains locked around his neck, he remains bond. Viperish Night wants out very badly...and now he thinks he may do anything to have that freedom. Maybe...Viperish Night shudders and blackness streaks across his vision, and for the first time since the night of the fight he sleeps, unable to say awake any longer.

Viperish Night takes his meal outside, as he has done since that night. He wants to stay away from the others. He cannot stand their eyes. Filled with pain and pity and utter confusion. No one knew why Titumus had done what he did. And perhaps they could not fathom how Viperish Night could kill him, despite the fact it was the only way to live. Or was it? Viperish Night stares at his food, his eyes. Could he have done it differently? Could he have knocked Titumus out, restrained him, something? Did they blame him for taking such final actions? The moment the voice spoke, it was as if a damn had burst inside of him. Was it out of control rage at the betrayal, or the icy cold desire to kill the one who betrayed him? Viperish Night closes his eyes. He...could not trust himself either.  
Viperish Night's claws curl on the grass and he opens his eyes. Someone had followed him, Fernthorn. "Go away." he snarls.  
Fernthorn sits near him, her hands moving through the grass. "I just don't understand it," Fernthorn says quietly. Viperish Night's eyes follow her.  
"People betray." Viperish Night says. "Even those you trust. I am sick of being betrayed and hurt."  
"But I would not do that!" Fernthorn says. "N..."  
Viperish Night cuts her off. "Titumus did," he says coldly. The very same thing he told Zan'tabe. His eyes, full of hurt glare at Fernthorn. "LEAVE." he hisses, standing.  
Fernthorn blinks a few times and then gets up. "Viperish Night even if you don't trust us, we trust in you," Fernthorn says quietly. "Please come back to use when your ready." she turns to go, Viperish Night's next words pause her.  
"You should not trust me." Viperish Night says. "Now leave me."  
Fernthorn looks back at him and then turns, running back inside.

Viperish Night walks toward the arena. The first time he's fought since that night. Kigum-dar approaches Viperish Night. He ignores Viperish Night's furious hiss and comes to stand beside him. "Viperish Night you must..."  
Viperish Night cuts him off. "MUST?" he snarls, turning to face Kigum-dar. "I must do this. I must fight this way. I must be this. I am SICK OF IT." he snaps. "No one ever lets me just be. Just leave me."  
Kigum-dar's brow furrows as Viperish Night stalks off. Zan'tabe walks beside Kigum-dar and places a paw on his shoulder. "Let him be," Zan'tabe says. "He needs to know we are here, but he also needs time."  
"Kigum-dar does not understand why Titumus did what he did," Kigum-dar says. "This one...was in despair when I arrived. Tried to end it and Titumus saved this one before he could dishonor himself further. The Titumus I knew would have never done this."  
Zan'tabe sighs sadly. "This one heard Titumus at night. Restless, fighting something in his mind. He..." Zan'tabe trails off remembering something Titumus told him. Kigum-dar gives him a curious look. "Necromancers left deeper scars on Titumus than we knew. It broke him somehow." Zan'tabe finally says. 

Viperish Night stalks onto the sands, swords already drawn. The roar of the crowd, Thjonwulf's roar. It blends into a furor of madness. How is the world this mad? Viperish Night's eyes find the crowd. None of them can see the depths of hatred in his eyes. None of them know if he could get them, he might just kill them. Very bad thoughts, he thinks as he faces the Orc called Man-breaker.  
Man-breaker charges Viperish Night and he dodges her brutal ax cleaves. The next he swerves and ducks underneath and his sword flashes, sinking into her chest. She falls to the ground, dying in a few seconds. Viperish Night looks at the light leaving her eyes. He thought that brutality was the key, but it failed. He tilts his head, the Orc's blood flowing across his sand to touch the claws on his feet. What is the key? He heads into the pit, ignoring his friends' eyes. He knows he'll see hope in them. Hope he returned to his normal way of fighting. He only has because there is utterly no point in doing it the very wrong way. Even killing his friend failed to unlock it. Viperish Night's eyes fill with despair and he shuts them, trying to shut out the world, and thoughts and memories he cannot escape.

The next morning Viperish Night sits in the morning light, breakfast hardly touched. Away from the others yet again. And despite the warmth of the sun, he feels so very cold and so very alone. A butterfly flutters nearby and the shadow of a Khajiit falls over it and Viperish Night. Zan'tabe. Viperish Night thinks. They keep trying. Viperish Night reaches out with his claw and the butterfly rests upon it. Viperish Night's eyes take in the beautiful graceful creature, remembering a time when he felt such sorrow at killing a gathering of them. Enough to raise them from the dead, so they could fly a few moments longer. Where did that Viperish Night go? "I was different once." Viperish Night quietly says. " Titumus thought me a monster, that I would return to thus... but I was not a monster when I was practicing necromancy. Perhaps I would have become one, but I was not then. Just... naive. Stupid, foolish, and weak." Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he rises, crushing the butterfly in his fist as he turns to Zan'tabe. "The world destroyed who I wanted to be." Viperish Night hisses. "So I will be something else."  
Zan'tabe's eyes are full of sorrow, and he is at an utter loss for words. "Viperish Night," he says.  
"Don't." Viperish Night says. "Don't say you are here for me. That I can trust you." he turns his back. "I cannot trust any of you, I will not. And I do not trust myself either. I could have stopped. All of you must know. I could have stopped before I killed Titumus! But the thought did not even OCCUR TO ME." Viperish Night hisses, the sound full of agonizing pain.  
"Zan'tabe thinks you were too hurt, too lost," Zan'tabe says. "We cannot blame you for this, we will not! This one... just does not want to lose both of you."  
Viperish Night shakes his head. "It's too late, Zan'tabe." and with those final words, he stalks off toward the arena. Toward another day of this madness of blood and carnage.

Qa'Dar is the next to try. After the matches are over for the day the wiry Khajiit is standing near Viperish Night's door. Viperish Night stops, his eyes narrowed. "Move." he snarls.  
"No, this one will not!" Qa'Dar says. "Titumus was wrong. None of us will do what he did!" Qa'Dar takes a deep breath. "This one is just a worthless thief, but Qa'Dar knows what Titumus was. He was a mentor to all of us. Saved us from the dark, brought our best into the light. And we failed him." Qa'Dar looks up at Viperish Night, his eyes are more serious than Viperish Night has ever seen them. "We did not know it was Titumus who needed saving from the dark as well. All of us failed Za'gh and failed Titumus. You have to understand why we stalk you. Why we will not leave you alone." Qa'Dar suddenly looks lost. "None of us want to lose you."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. "...Memories destroy us. This world destroys us." he quietly says. "I want to scream. One moment I wish to drown, the next I wish to drown the world. The river screams in my head! The rage consumes me utterly."  
"Then let us help you," Qa'Dar says.  
Viperish Night's eyes bolt open and he surges at Qa'Dar, pinning the Khajiit against the wall with his arms. "You want to save me?" he snarls.  
Qa'Dar flinches back but keeps his eyes locked on Viperish Night's eyes. "Yes!"  
"I killed Titumus." Viperish Night hisses. "I ripped him apart with my claws until my scales were drenched in his blood. I COULD have hit him over the head. I could have slammed him into the ground, I could have done a dozen other things to take him down without killing him, BUT I DID NOT." Viperish Night's eyes fill with utter anguish and rage. "He betrayed me, I betrayed him. I have been betrayed so many times, I knew in my soul I would NEVER do it to someone else. And yet, I did." Viperish Night lowers his arms. "I wanted to kill him, and so I did." Viperish Night turns his back on Qa'Dar's horrified face and walks to his room, pausing to look back. "I am beyond saving, Qa'Dar. And I will be free at the end of this, one way or another." Viperish Night walks into his room and slams the door. 

Zan'tabe stares at Rayrl and Israean over his food the next morning. "You will not even try to speak to him."  
Rayrl's eyes fill with fury. "What is there left to say? He attempted to take hold of forbidden, sacrilegious magic by horrific means. And when Titumus saw that, he took action. Actions he should not have taken, but something HAD to be done." ." Rayrl snaps. "It would be better if he fell in the final match tomorrow."  
"Rayrl," Israean says. "To wish anther's death, the Sister I know is better than that," he says quietly. Israean turns to Zan'tabe. "You know that there is nothing further to say. We all heard what Viperish Night said to Qa'Dar."  
Fernthorn puts her fork down. "He was badly injured. How could Viperish Night take him down without killing him?" she says quietly.  
"Qa'Dar is right here," Qa'Dar mutters, and leans against Fernthorn. "This seems like the end."  
"There are so few of us left," Kigum-dar says. "And if Viperish Night's intentions are to be free...he may try to fall in the arena." he trails off looking lost.  
Zan'tabe looks at his food and pushes it away. "Zan'tabe is no longer hungry. This one knows things cannot continue. The gladiator games are nearly done."  
Fernthorn curls her hand in Qa'Dar's paw. "What is going to happen to us then?"  
"We are unfit to be mine or house slaves," Kigum-dar says. "Too aggressive. To wild. Thjonwulf will likely sell us to other gladiator owners, in other lands."  
"NO!" Fernthorn says. "I would rather rip my own throat out than to be without any of you." She snarls and grips Qa'Dar tighter. "This is not fair! We lost Titumus, we are going to lose Viperish Night, and now everyone else??" She lets go of Qa'Dar's paw and flees.  
Qa'Dar rises and looks at the others. "Qa'Dar is scared," he admits, before following Fernthorn.  
"Zan'tabe misses Titumus," Zan'tabe says. "He would know what to do. Could even talk to that mangy mutt into somehow selling some of us together. Or...setting us free even."  
"He would never do that," Rayrl says.  
"He might," Israean says. "He has no purpose without the arena. To let others have his gladiators, I am not certain that is something Thjonwulf would ever do."  
Zan'tabe rises. "This one is going to stretch his legs before the match." he walks out.

Zan'tabe stands by the gladiator quarters door, the sun shining on his fur. His eyes are on Viperish Night, who's alone on the grass, staring at the distant horizon. Zan'tabe moves closer. "Do you intend to die?" Zan'tabe softly asks him.  
Viperish Night freezes and turns his head to look at Zan'tabe, a growl building in his throat. "Stop trying." he snarls.  
"Answer Zan'tabe first," Zan'tabe says.  
Viperish Night looks away. "I... don't know." his eyes stare out at nothing, lost in despair and rage.  
"This life is almost over," Zan'tabe says. "If you hold on a little longer, Viperish Night. Something better could happen."  
Viperish Night's eyes close as he trembles. Memories swirl in his mind. Peaceful days in the sun with Rishima. Denros's contagious joy. The animals that came to him, warm and alive. "Everything good is taken from me," he says and rises. "Leave me alone." Viperish Night says again. "I am lost in the dark and am beyond saving." Viperish Night walks off toward the arena, leaving Zan'tabe behind, a look of despair on the Khajiits face.

Viperish Night's face is turned to the crowd. The Argonian he killed with two swift strikes of his blades lies dead at his feet. Anger fills his eyes and he snarls and stalks off the field. It was the last match of the night. The final night of the celebration was tomorrow night in a grand battle royal. Viperish Night pauses as he sees the other gladiators and stops, letting them return before him. He has no desire to speak to them. No desire to be saved. Death was the only way out for any of them. He stalks across the grass to the gladiator quarters.  
"Stop."  
Viperish Night pauses and turns his head at Thjonwulf, and he hisses. "Leave me alone," he says. "Or just kill me and get it over with."  
Thjonwulf's eyes shift from brown to golden and he shifts into his wolf, bounding across the field. Viperish Night spins around, dodging to the side. Thjonwulf slams down in the grass and swerves, his claws knocking Viperish Night down. Bounding Thjonwulf leaps, Viperish Night rolls and misses the pounce by a hairbreadth. Viperish Night leaps up and spins, his claws ripping furrows in Thjonwulf's fur, Thjonwulf spins and clips him, sending him crashing down, and is on him in a moment. Thjonwulf's jaws hover just above Viperish Night's neck. "If that's what you want," he growls and opens his jaws wide to snap them on Viperish Night's neck.  
Everything seems to freeze, the nighttime breeze quiets, the insects stop mid chirp. Viperish Night stares up at death, razor-sharp teeth that can tear life from him and lead him into the void, and forever nothingness. "No!" he suddenly snarls, his eyes filling with rage, and he thrusts up his hand, hitting Thjonwulf's neck with his palm. Thjonwulf chokes and Viperish Night head-butts him and throws him to the ground, snarling in rage Viperish Night leaps upon Thjonwulf and starts to rip him with his claws, sinking his fangs into Thjonwulf's shoulder for a better grip. Thjonwulf howls and rolls, knocking Viperish Night's grip from his shoulder. He slams into Viperish Night, who flies and hits the ground hard. Viperish Night leaps up and snarls, but Thjonwulf holds up his hand, and shifts back.  
"So death is not what you want. At least, not your own." Thjonwulf says with a grin, even as the blood drips from his body. Viperish Night breaths hard, staring up at Thjonwulf. Confusion and anger fill his eyes. "Titumus was a fool." Thjonwulf continues. "Your not, are you, my Savage Argonian? You want to live. You want to be the wolf." he laughs as he walks away.  
Viperish Night stares after Thjonwulf for long moments, then looks down at the bands on his wrists in confusion. Did Thjonwulf turn them off somehow? He felt his full strength when fighting against him. Viperish Night sighs and walks into the gladiator quarters and stops by Zan'tabe's door. The Khajiit looks at him startled by his state. "I will not die." Viperish Night hisses. "That is not something I desire." he stalks away to his room.

Viperish Night slams the door shut and stalks his small room. His rage is like a tsunami, it drowns him, it drowns the river. Rage at the world. Rage at the bloodthirsty crowds. Rage at his friends for trying to save him. And as the rage fills him, drowns him, it turns inward. He could have stopped. He could have done something to save Titumus. He throws back his head and howls, a scream of utter anguish and rage. It fills him, and just when it's on the break of drowning him, Viperish Night stops and lowers his head. Thjonwulf's words come back to him. Why is he blaming himself? Titumus betrayed him. This world betrayed him, over and over again. So very many people hurt him. Why is he drowning himself over it? Viperish Night closes his eyes, shaking violently. Why should he die? Why should he suffer? Why should he scream when all the rage did was utterly nothing. Long moments pass and slowly he stops shaking. When Viperish Night's eyes open, all the rage has vanished, leaving behind utter awareness. He had been fighting with such rage and brutality. Fiery anger consuming everything. Including... Including the river. It's no wonder he failed time and time again. Fire burned and destroyed everything. Rage led to madness and out of control brutality. It never would set him free. Viperish Night tilts his head. Then what would? The answer was there, just out of reach. Viperish Night slowly sits, staring out at the window. So very close to an answer, tomorrow's last fight would take place at night, under the moons. He stays that way till sleep comes.

Rayrl and Israean speak quietly through much of the night. Rayrl had moved to her brother's room when Viperish Night's bloodcurdling howl sounded. They sat in silence for long minutes, before Israean spoke. "Viperish Night?" he asks his sister.  
Rayrl knows what he is asking. If she felt the trickle of his power this week. She shakes her head. "Nothing brother, since ...." she trails off. "He gave up. He must of," she says, an unreadable look passing over her face.  
Israean leans back against the wall. "Viperish Night is a tortured soul," Israean says. "We should pity rather than hate him, Rayrl."  
"I do not hate him, brother," Rayrl says. "I fear him. And I think pity is also, somehow worse than hate."  
Fernthorn rests her head against Viperish Night's door. He does not want her help, any of their help. He's even managed to lock the door somehow. "Don't be a monster, Viperish Night," she whispers cradling her arms to her chest. His tortured howl still seems to echo, it froze her blood to the core. She looks over at Qa'Dar's room, and Qa'Dar has poked his head out, his eyes filled with sadness and a hint of fear. Fernthorn sighs softly, looking at him. Fernthorn moves to Qa'Dar. "You stupid cat," she says softly. "Let me in." Qa'Dar nods and both vanish into his room.  
Zan'tabe sits against the wall, his heart torn by his friends suffering and the unshakable fact there is nothing he can do to help. "Zan'tabe is useless," he says with a heavy sigh.  
Kigum-dar looks out at the night from his window, staring up at the moons, or where the moons are. The nights have been filled with heavy clouds, blocking out all of Jone and Jode's light. It seems an ill omen indeed. "Jone and Jode," Kigum-dar says. "This one has a very bad feeling. Watch over us all."

The clouds are heavy and ominous the next night. The moons hide as the gladiator's trek to the gate, where they wait for it to rise, and the grand battle royal, the final fight of this month of games. There is only silence among them, the events of last week are so very fresh and still utterly unbelievable. Viperish Night's eyes are on the gate, keeping his distance from the others. Viperish Night finds he's oddly calm as he waits for the fight to start. The answer is close. He can feel it, it nibbles on his tail. Every time he has turned to snap at it, it flees. And so, he will wait for it this time. Thjonwulf's voice roars. "The final day of celebration for glory! For blood! The battle royal!" Thjonwulf cries as the crowd goes crazy. "Three teams, 21 fighters. Only when one team is left standing, will the match be over! FOR BLOOD AND GLORY, GLADIATORS!!" The gates open and the gladiators surge upon the sands, light by a multitude of flicking torches. Viperish Night's eyes flicker to his friends and then focus on an Argonian fighter coming at him. Titumus would have urged them to fight as one. But that requires trust, something Viperish Night no longer has. He surges away from the others, claws curling around his twin swords as he engages the Argonian, who wields a single sword but is nearly as fast as Viperish Night.  
Qa'Dar steps forward but Zan'tabe's words halt him. "Focus on yourself," Zan'tabe says. Qa'Dar gives Viperish Night one last look and then turns to Fernthorn, who has charged with wild abandon toward an Orc. Another Orc from the same team has noticed and is moving to intercept. "Orcs." Qa'Dar scoffs. "Too slow for the two of us." he races into the fray and soon he and Fernthorn are leaping and bounding around the two Orcs, getting them angrier and angrier.  
Kigum-dar and Zan'tabe take on a pair of Bosmer, the two are very fast, but despite their size, so are Kigum-dar and Zan'tabe and the battle is full of quick slashes and shallow cuts as the four gladiators go at it.  
Rayrl and Israean are moving as if one, attacking a group of gladiators that have stuck together, three Khajiits. When one Khajiit gets too close to one of the siblings, the other is there to take the advantage back.  
Another Argonian is rolling on the ground with an Orc. Ashlander sword clashes with Redguard steel. Khajiit claws glance off Argonian scales. It's a full on melee of chaos and blood, and as quickly as one gladiator falls, another rises to take their place, leaving no time to rest, no time to think about anything but the battle. The crowd's roar grows louder and louder as the royal progresses, the sand is soon drenched in blood, fallen gladiators littering it.

Viperish Night stands in the middle of the arena, a Khajiit dead before him. A moment's break before another gladiator appears to challenge him. Before his blades taste their flesh before the crowd gets another fix of blood and carnage. Viperish Night's eyes stare at the spectators, a familiar glint of hate in his eyes. But instead of fiery rage, an icy coldness drapes them. Viperish Night's eyes move from the crowd to his friends. Rayrl and Israean are tangling with two Argonian's, their perfectly synched moves leaving no doubt what two will win. Kigum-dar is trading blows with a powerful heavyset Orc. Fernthorn and Qa'Dar are leaping and bounding around an Ashlander and a Bosmer duo and Zan'tabe is engaging in a swift blade match with Redguard. Viperish Night's eyes continue to shift, every other gladiator his eyes fall upon is dead and sprawled upon the ground, the sands red beneath their still bodies. Viperish Night looks back at the crowd. Their screams and cheers. It's a kind of madness that grips them, and Thjonwulf is watching with a savage smile on his face, swimming in the same river of madness. The madness of blood and chaos, for no purpose beyond death.  
The clouds suddenly part and a crimson pall falls over the arena. Viperish Night looks up, his blood chills as he stares up at the moons, their familiar light replaced by a blood-red glow. The air seems to still, the sounds of battle grow muted as Viperish Night keeps staring up at the moons. Suddenly words spoken to him long ago come back to him. The only path to freedom is death. But death was all around him, including gladiators he killed himself, and freedom was just as far out of reach as it always had been since his former mentor betrayed him on that faithful day. Viperish Night's eyes close as the moonlight turns his scales red. "You told me I would do anything not to be weak and helpless again." Viperish Night whispers to the night. Viperish Night shudders, as he finally understands how very right his mentor had been with those words. The lengths he had gone to be strong, to try to break free. In the end, it had caused his friend to betray him. In the end, it was his friend's blood on his claws. 

Viperish Night's eyes open and he lowers his head, looking at the gladiators once more, those who he had called friends before he learned that even they would betray him. Pain fills his heart, and his eyes show a glimmer of confusion. They held him from the abyss, gave him handholds to grip even when he thought he was sure to fall. Even when he tried to fall on purpose. Viperish Night's heart stills as Stalks-In-Darkness's words come back to him. Submit to the icy river. He thought he had been doing that very thing, causing such pain to his foes this month. But, he realizes, he never had submitted. Even in the vicious battles, he stepped back. He ran away like a scared little sheep. Thoughts and feelings swirling inside of him. This is very bad. He would never betray his friends. And when betrayed by Titumus, and in turn betraying him by setting upon him with such rage and savagery...he ran from it. He was always running. 

A savage hiss and a bloodied Argonian runs at Viperish Night. He had been on the ground seemingly dead. Viperish Night turns to him and drops his swords to the sand as the Argonian leaps at him. Viperish Night stays still, so utterly still as the Argonian's claws pierce his shoulder, only a hint of pain flickering through his eyes. With a snap of his wrist, Viperish Night grabs the Argonian by the neck and holds him aloft, the Argonian twists, ripping at his hand and arm with his claws. Viperish Night stares into those eyes, ignoring the pain. There was rage in them, the desire to win in them, and... fear. Viperish Night tilts his head. "I fear." he softly says. "You fear death, I fear falling. I fear the icy river, I fear losing all I have and all I am." His grip tightens and the Argonian starts fighting for breath. With a snap, Viperish Night breaks the Argonian's neck and drops him onto the sand. He stares at the dead body. "I have little left to lose. Little left to break," he says and gives one last look at his friends, who are seconds from winning their final matches. They are all that is left, and they... Viperish Night's eyes fill with ice. "Titumus betrayed me. So will they, someday." Viperish Night says, the anguish in his voice. They are lost to Viperish Night, he just had not realized it. He turns his eyes from them and stares at the crowd. Nothing left to lose, there should be no fear. Viperish Night's eyes close as he lets go of the last of his fear, and dives into the river, into the ice. Into the only salvation left to him, for all other roads have closed. All other paths have been destroyed. 

Viperish Night suddenly turns his head towards the heavens, his eyes opening to take in the blood moons. He howls, not with rage but utter despair and the final shattering of who he once was. He no longer fears the abyss, no longer fears what he will become. And so, he lets go. 

The ground starts to shake and the sands crack, jagged lines streaking away from Viperish Night. The crowd stills, the gladiator's pause, turning toward Viperish Night. Toward their friend. The shaking gets worse, one by one the torches go out, leaving the arena and the stands light only by the light of the blood moons. Cracks streak across the collar around Viperish Night's neck, and with a loud snap, it shatters, sending the pieces flying to the sands. Viperish Night's howl fades and he lowers his head, his crystalline eyes glowing. Blood drips from his shoulder and claws and it hits the ground glowing an eerie blue. The blue spreads across the sands and with an unholy burst of light the fallen gladiators rise, flesh, scales, and fur melting until only the bones are left. With a raise of their heads each of the skeletons shriek, their eyes glowing with eerie blue light. And it's not just the fallen on this night that rise. The graveyard that lies behind the arena, where all the fallen gladiators are buried, they too rise as skeletons and climb the walls scattering into the stands, setting upon the crowd. The snap of swords, the sound of claws and fangs sinking into flesh, the screams of the spectators. At long last, they suffer. They suffer for their blood-lust, for their desire to see slaves kill for them, die for them. 

Zan'tabe's head whips around as he stares in horror at the chaos around him. The dead rising, the whole horror show painted in the blood-red light of the moons. He bounds toward Viperish Night. "Viperish Night!" he says. "Stop this, you can stop this! Come back to us!"  
Viperish Night's head turns toward Zan'tabe and he slowly tilts his head. "I don't want to stop it," he says.  
"Please, Viperish Night!" Zan'tabe insists. "My friend...sto..." A sword bursts through Zan'tabe's chest and blood splatters from his mouth. His eyes lock onto Viperish Night as the light leaves them, confusion bleeding into the cold of death as he falls from the Redguard's skeleton's sword.  
Rayrl whirls, her eyes filled with rage and horror. She raises her swords and starts to run toward Viperish Night, and the Argonian she had ended moments ago surges up before her, his skeleton claws piercing her throat. She falls to the ground, her eyes finding her brother before the last light fades from them. Israean lowers his arms, his swords fall to the ground as he starts walking toward his fallen sister. "I will see you in the Far Shores, my sister," he says as the second undead Argonian raises his claws to strike him down. He falls, and the last thing he does before he dies is to stretch his hand out to clasp his sister's.  
Kigum-dar lets out a mighty growl and swings around as the Orc rises behind him as an undead skeleton, and his club smashes down upon Kigum'Dar head, sending Kigum-Dar crashing to the ground on his belly. He lies there struggling to rise, before his movements still.  
Fernthorn's eyes fill with tears. "No... Viperish Night no," she whispers and then turns as the undead Ashlander and Bosmer set upon her. Qa'Dar leaps to her defense but more of the undead surges upon them. Their blades and claws fly as they furiously fight off the undead and one by one they fall. As Fernthorn takes down the last one it sinks a blade deep into her left side, and she lets out a strangled cry. She turns and her eyes find Qa'Dar, reaching out a hand to him as she falls to the ground. Qa'Dar stumbles to her side and sinks to the sands by her side. "My Fernthorn," he says. Fernthorn's eyes look up at him, so full of fear. "I...guess I am yours." she quietly says. More undead race toward them, surrounding the two. Qa'Dar wraps his arms around Fernthorn. "Just close your eyes," he says to her as the undead fall upon them with claws and blades.  
Zan'tabe's pleas. Rayrl's rage. Fernthorn's tears. Viperish Night's eyes close. He should...stop? But it is far too late to stop. And the voice is so quiet and only getting quieter. Viperish Night tilts his head. The voice is the last little bit of who he was and the river is drowning it. It wants him to stop, it wants to be saved. But that Viperish Night was so very weak and scared. Someone that people hurt so very much. He no longer wants to be that...and so he lets the river drown it. Viperish Night opens his eyes and the voice is gone, as is the pleas, the rage, the tears. He saw Zan'tabe fall, and his eyes scour the arena. Fernthorn and Qa'Dar are in each other's arms, together at the very end. Kigum-dar is lying face first in the bloody sand and Rayrl and Israean lie close to each other, Israean's hand wrapped around his sister's hand. Viperish Night looks at the bodies of his friends for long moments. They no longer cried out for him. No longer tried to save him. They were so very quiet, and they were free. In the only way, they could be.

A howl snaps Viperish Night's attention back to the stands. Spectators are dying by the droves, overwhelmed by the sheer number of undead that has descended upon them with only one purpose, one intent. Death. Thjonwulf has shifted to his werewolf form and is fighting to get to the arena, the sands. He plows through the skeletons, ignoring the claws raked across his pelt, the slashes and stabs by blades. He finally makes it to the edge and with one massive lunge, he leaps into the sands and races to Viperish Night, skidding to a stop in front of him. He rises on two legs his golden eyes locked onto Viperish Night's icy crystal eyes.  
"So." Thjonwulf growls. "this is the monster you are." Blood drips from his many wounds but he stands strong before Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night holds up his wrists and in a surge of power, the slave brands break apart and fall to the sands. He tilts his head at Thjonwulf's words. Monster. Abomination. He has truly become what he has always fought against. Always fought from becoming. "There is no other river." Viperish Night hisses.  
Thjonwulf's eyes fall on his fallen gladiators. "So this is how it ends," he says. "Good! I would want to go out in glory then slowly dying along with this island," he growls.  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. "This is not glory." he spits. "Its madness." Viperish Night bends down, gathering his swords in his hands. "I'll be the one to end this madness that the living cause."  
Viperish Night runs at Thjonwulf and Thjonwulf howls and leaps to meet him. Viperish Night spins to the side and his swords flash out. Thjonwulf spins his claws clash against Viperish Night's sword thrusting him back. Viperish Night surges to the side and comes at Thjonwulf again, throwing the werewolf to the ground. Thjonwulf's claws grip the ground and he launches himself at Viperish Night and the two roll in the bloody sands, the crimson light of the blood moons shining down upon them. Viperish Night thrusts his sword up and Thjonwulf howls in agony and leaps away Viperish Night's sword buried deep in his guts. Thjonwulf rips it out and blood gushes down. Thjonwulf sways, pressing his paw against the grievous wound trying to keep his guts inside. Finally, he sinks to his knees. "Never... thought I would ever find a monster stronger than me." Thjonwulf growls. "End it then, my Savage Argonian!" He staggers up through sheer force of will and leaps at Viperish Night. Viperish Night meets the lunge, he sinks his remaining sword into Thjonwulf's neck. The werewolf staggers back and crashes to the ground. Thjonwulf stares up at Viperish Night and soon the only thing in his eyes is death. 

"What have you done?"  
Viperish Night turns to the voice to see Kigum-dar has staggered up. The fur on his head is matted with blood. Viperish Night tilts his head. "Silenced the madness." Viperish Night says softly, just as the last screams fade from the stands. All who swam in madness, all who cheered for death now have met it in crimson light.  
Kigum-dar stares at Viperish Night as if he does not recognize him. "They were your friends! This one was your friend!" he says the horror and despair in his voice.  
"Yes." Viperish Night says. "I set them free." Kigum-dar grips the handle to his ax, his eyes full of anguish. "I will free you too now." Viperish Night says, and Thjonwulf's body rises behind him, fur and flesh melting from his bones till all his left is a massive werewolf skeleton, eyes glowing eerie blue. It surges at Kigum-dar and snaps its jaws around the Khajiit's neck shattering it, before dropping his body onto the sands. 

Viperish Night looks at his body for a moment before turning and walking across the sands. He bends down to pick something up before he walks out of the arena. Not the gate that leads back to the gladiator quarters, but the one that leads to freedom. To the road that will lead him to the coast and off this cursed island.  
The carts that brought the bloodthirsty are parked, but the horses and various other pack animals lie dead in the dirt. They have been torn apart, their blood and guts splattering the ground. Viperish Night raises his hand and a horse rises out of its flesh and trots to stand before him. Viperish Night mounts the skeleton horse and rides off toward the coast, toward the docks.

It's a silent journey. No insects chirp, no night birds cry. The predators of the night are silent, and not even a rodent stirs. Glowing blue eyes peer out from behind rocks, bushes. Skeletons stand on the side of the road, in the hills, and in the ash. The dead are so very silent and so very free. Free of the madness and pain. They will not betray him, unlike the living.  
The horse stops at the mine and Viperish Night leaps off. He walks past a Dunmer body, Falmus. He lies dead just outside the mines. Blue eyes glow from inside the mines. Viperish Night pauses briefly, before walking past and down to the swamp where the dead are buried. Or...was before Viperish Night's despair washed over the lost and forgotten dead of Oblivion's Isle. But not all the dead has risen. One still lies in his rest in this spot. Viperish Night kneels at the swamp and places one of the things he picked up from the sands just on the edge of the mass grave. A piece from his slave bonds. Viperish Night rises and stands in silence for a time before turning to return to his horse.  
The next place he stops is Nelimar's manor. Viperish Night's former owner is lying in the grass just outside the front door in a pool of blood. Viperish Night pays him no mind as he walks around to the back. He never got the chance to be here...after. Viperish Night bends down before Rishima's undisturbed grave and lies the second piece of his slave band down upon it before rising. Again he stands in silence before the grave before he turns and walks away.  
The skeleton horse takes Viperish Night into town. It's so very silent here as well. The ground and the buildings are covered in blood and gore, the bodies lie where they have fallen. Viperish Night dismounts and walks through the carnage to the docks. His eyes scan all the ships and he picks out the smallest boat and walks aboard. The crew's bodies are lying on blood-soaked planks, and at Viperish Night's command, they rise and make ready to sail for their master. Viperish Night stands at the bow of the boat. "The marsh." he hisses. Soon the boat is unmoored and sailing in the deep dark sea, the water as black as death. Viperish Night's eyes stare out at the distant horizon, his claws curled against the rail. This... was not what he had wanted. But in the end, it what was needed to set him free. And now that he was free? Viperish Night's eyes narrow. He had to find those who destroyed all other paths, who took so very much from him. His former mentor. Stalks-In-Darkness, the egg parents that abandoned him. He would show them what it felt like to have every choice taken, every river cut off. The last thing they would see before they died was the monster they had helped create. He would see fear and despair in their eyes. And then? Viperish Night tilts his head. This world was mad and so very loud. Screaming, agony, despair, and betrayal. Only the dead were free and so he would drown the world, as the world had drowned him until all was still and silent and nothing could ever betray or hurt again.

Act 2  
Fin


	34. Act 3 - Ghost Hunt

-Oblivion's Isle-  
Captain Rilaves's ship sails into Oblivion's Isle port early morning, carrying what has become a rare delivery of slaves. The early morning sun makes the ocean water sparkle and it seems a calm peaceful morning. The ship docks, but not a single dock worker comes to help secure the ship to port. Captain Rilaves walks toward the plank his crew is extending. His face is a mix of anger and confusion as he looks around. "Where in Oblivion is everyone?" he barks, and then looks at his crew, who's milling around nervously. The docks full of more ships than usual, but not a single crew member is scurrying about. And...Captain Rilaves looks around. It's too quiet. There are not even any seagulls screaming out their rancorous cries.  
"Captain you need to get down here!" One of his crew members shouts.  
Captain Rilaves jumps down the gangplank to look at the docks and the small port town in shock, he curses. Dried blood on every conceivable surface, bodies strewn about with horrific injuries. "What in Oblivion is going on here?" Captain Rilaves curses as he looks around. The bodies are undisturbed, no seagulls or skeevers are feasting. There are not even any fleshflies hovering around the corpses. "Damn it, Damn it to Oblivion." Captain Rilaves curses again. "Back to the damn ship," he commands. "Get ready to sail, we want no part in this." Captain Rilaves turns to board and curses again as his eyes set upon the sea. Ships are sailing into the port, and the flag they fly is the Ebonheart Pact. Somehow, they tracked Captain Rilaves and his ship here without him aware of it.  
Two of the ships dock and they descend on Captain Rilaves and his crew. Captain Rilaves tiredly raises his hands making no attempt to fight. "Just get us off this cursed rock," he growls as the Ebonheart soldiers take him and his crew into custody, and rescue the slaves from the hold of his ship.  
"By Vivec..." The commander of the Ebonheart ships say. He's a Dunmer with short black hair streaked with silver. His gaze narrows as his eyes take in the carnage. "Bring Iveryni out here now" he orders his crew.  
A few minutes later a petite Dunmer woman walks down, a light-skinned Dunmer with light crimson eyes and long braided hair. She's wearing a mage robe and her staff is already in her hands, and her grip tightens as she comes to stand by the commander. "Commander Devalnor," she says.  
"Iveryni, what do you sense?" Commander Devalnor asks.  
Iveryni steps forward on the bloody dock, looking around with more than a little horror in her eyes. She pulls it back and closes her eyes, her staff lightly glowing. "Dark magic." she finally says. "Necromancy, and the scale of it..." she opens her eyes and they lock on Commander Devalnor. "We need to find out what happened here."  
Commander Devalnor summons a handful of guards and they venture into town. It's eerily quiet, not even the buzzing of fleshflies to break the unnatural silence. "There are no flies, no skeevers, no birds," Iveryni says. "Nothing lives, Commander. As far as I can tell everything living is simply dead."  
"That is simply impossible." Commander Devalnor says, gesturing towards a tree.  
Iveryni places her hand on the tree and shakes her head. "The tree is dead as well. Whatever necromancy was unleashed...it corrupted the land." she looks at Commander Devalnor with fearful eyes. "Nothing will ever grow here, live here again. This island is corrupted, cursed for lack of a better word."  
The guards shuffle nervously, looking at Commander Devalnor, who halts their progression.  
"Are we safe here or not Iveryni?" he asks.  
Iveryni nods. "For a time, yes. Do not drink or eat anything. Touch only what you have to."  
The guards are muttering among themselves. One says "we should leave this cursed place."  
"With respect, we cannot," she says to Commander Devalnor. "It's your call, but necromancy on this level." she frowns before continuing. "The necromancer who did this may be nearly on par with Mannimarco. And if they are capable of murdering every living creature on this island....their intentions for Nirn are to be greatly feared."  
Nothing further needs to be said. Mannimarco's evil is still a fresh wound, even after 5 years. "Damn it." Commander Devalnor says. "Lead the way, Iveryni.  
Iveryni nods and chants a spell and a glowing orb appears from her staff. "It will follow the necromancer's path," she says. "Back to where this madness started."  
The orb leads them to a manor and the ball of magic floats behind it, Iverynia, Commander Devalnor, and the guards trailing behind it. It comes to a rest before a grave. Iveryni kneels by the grave. "This ones still buried," she says. "Why? And why did our necromancer stop here if not to raise more undead?"  
Commander Devalnor kneels down beside her and fingers the bit of metal left on the grave. "Slave band, part of one anyway." he puts it back and wipes his hand on his pants. Commander Devalnor then orders a guard into the manor to collect any records he might find.  
When the guard comes back Iverynia gestures to the ball and it floats leading them further into the island. It floats past a mine and to a swamp. "Mass grave," Iverynia says with a frown. "How...strange." At Commander Devalnor's questioning look she continues. "A mass raising happened here. But there are two bodies in this grave that they did not raise." her look turns troubled. "To raise the dead yet pick out a few not to raise..."  
Commander Devalnor bends down. "Another piece of a slave band," he says. "Can you tell what races they are?"  
Iverynia shakes her head. "No, and I would not recommend unearthing them. The records will have to suffice."  
At that, Commander Devalnor orders one of the guards to collect the records from the mine, and then they are off again, falling the ball of magic. Commander Devalnor orders two guards to return to the ship to bring the guars, to ensure that the return trip is quicker. To stay in this cursed place overnight...he thinks his crew might revolt at that.  
The trek takes most of the day, and it's an eerie walk. The grass and plants are dead or dying, and not a single sight or sound of life exists. The magic ball takes them to the arena, and Commander Devalnor looks at it and shakes his head "Barbaric." he mutters as the ball leads them into the arena and the carnage is enough to leave all of them shaken. The sands so soaked with blood there is hardly a tan spot left. The stands filled with the rotting corpse of Dunmer and many other species. Gladiators dead on the sands where they have fallen and mounds of bone dust everywhere. "By Vivec..." Commander Devalnor says. "A large scale event was taken place when whatever happened, happened."  
Iveryni follows the ball across the blood-drenched sands to the center of the arena. She carefully kneels in the sands and Commander Devalnor follows her. "More slave band shards," he says.  
"And something else." Iveryni says, picking up the biggest shard. "this is not Dunmer." she says studying it. "I'll have to consult the guild about this." she carefully places it in a pouch.  
Commander Devalnor orders the guards to gather up the intact slave bands which are lying in pools of dust, and the ones lying on the fallen gladiators. "Iveryni?" Commander Devalnor says. "Thoughts?"  
"A group match." Iveryni muses. "The necromancer raised the fallen gladiators, which killed the ones that were still alive."  
Commander Devalnor kneels by one of the Khajiit, picking up a bone fang and examining it. "This..."  
Iveryni walks over to him and takes the fang. "I have to check, but this may be a werewolf's fang." she places it in the bag and looks at the Khajiit. "Poor thing. Its neck was shattered... to die like this..." she looks around at the other gladiators killed by the undead. There are six of them, all surrounded by bone dust and all rotting slowly in the sun. "It's impossible to say how long ago this happened. No insects to decompose the bodies. No scavengers even." she trails off and looks at Commander Devalnor. "A slave did this," she says.  
"Can you summon anyone's spirit?" Commander Devalnor says. "We need to know what happened here."  
"...No." Iveryni says "There are no spirits here. They must have fled from, this place when it happened. And the taint of the dark magic unleashed here would block them from returning, even if they failed to pass over." she sighs and the ball of magic vanishes.  
Commander Devalnor sends a guard to collect the arena records and the group heads into the stands. The carnage here is beyond thought, beyond counting. "To leave our dead here... Even if they have broken the Ebonheart laws." Commander Devalnor says. "It is a heavy thing to do."  
"We cannot bring the dead from this place." Iveryni firmly says. "We must leave them where they lie." The group heads out of the arena and into the back where a mass graveyard is. The dirt is disturbed, torn up when the dead were called. "Another mass grave," Iveryni says. "And again, a few bodies are undisturbed." The guards come back with the records. "We should leave now, Commander," Iveryni says. 

Back on the ship, the crew prepares to set sail with the other ships. Commander Devalnor and Iveryni retire to his cabin, spreading out the records on the table and pouring over them. "What can you divest about this necromancer?" Commander Devalonor asks Iveryni.  
"This Thjonwulf had seven gladiators listed as alive," Iveryni says, studying the papers. "Three Khajiit, one Bosmer, two Redguards, and an Argonian."  
"The dead gladiators were Khajiit, Bosmer, and Redguards." Commander Devalonor says. "Not a coincidence."  
"Not even close to one," Iveryni says. "There were bloody footprints on the docks, leading to a ship that is no longer in port. The footprints were Argonian."  
"Our necromancer is the Argonian then? Or one from off-island?" Commander Devalonor asks. "Unusual though not completely unheard of." he pauses and waits for Iveryni to finish her thoughts.  
"Our necromancer left bodies unraised." Iveryni answers. "Most of the graves were not fresh. The necromancer was from here, so this must be him." she hands one of the papers to Commander Devalonor.  
"Hmm..." Commander Devalonor says as he reads. "Viperish Night, the Savage Argonian. At least we have a name, if not a description." he puts the paper down. "Your final thoughts?"  
Iveryni's brow furrows. "He killed everything on this island including his fellow gladiators. If not for the bodies unraised I would think it was just out of control madness. But..." she trails off looking disturbed, then continues "It was controlled, I think. He meant to slaughter everything living."  
"Utter disregard for life." Commander Devalonor says. "Even his comrades, his fellow slaves."  
"That, or he simply hates the living," Iveryni says. She looks at Commander Devalonor with frightened eyes. "This Viperish Night must be found, no matter what. He is dangerous, and perhaps dangerous to all of Nirn as well. If he has this much power and truly hates the living..."  
"I'll inform my superiors." Commander Devalonor says. "If they are wise, they will inform the Dominion and the Covenant as well. He could have gone anywhere in Nirn. It may take all three of us to find him."  
"Pray we find him before it's too late," Iveryni says.  
Commander Devalonor rises. "Come, Iveryni. I think it's time we talk with our prisoner. He brought enough slaves here, he might have brought our necromancer. Bring Arveel. I've seen him sketching during meal times."

Down in the hold Captain Rilaves is being held. The rest of his crew had been divided up between the Ebonheart ships and his commandeered ship. Commander Devalonor stands arm crossed in front of him, Iveryni and Arveel behind him. "You know the charges that will be levied against you." Commander Devalonor says. "I can make it a little easier on you, and your crew."  
Captain Rilaves looks tiredly up at Commander Devalonor. "Damn it, I kept saying each time, this is the last time. Knew the Ebonheart bastards was getting too close. And yet." he leans back against the wall. "What do you want?"  
"That easily?" Commander Devalonor says.  
Captain Rilaves shrugs. "I refuse to sell out my customers. But every customer I had on this cursed island is dead. Ask away."  
"We know who did this." Commander Devalonor says. "Evidence, records. An Argonian by the name of Viperish Night."  
Captain Rilaves throws his head back and laughs, starting the three. "By Oblivion! That is who did this?"  
"You know him." Commander Devalonor says.  
"Oh, I know him." Captain Rilaves says. "First time that someone paid me to capture someone and sell them into slavery." He looks up slily at Commander Devalonor. "I require a signed paper that you will grand my crew leave, and a reduced sentence for me," he says, and when Commander Devalonor gives him a hard expression he adds. "Yes, yes On the condition that I do not return to my old ways and retire. No more ships, no more crews, no more of this life."  
Commander Devalonor snaps at the guards and they return with paper and ink. Commander Devalonor's hand is busy as he writes, then signs the paper and thrusts it at Captain Rilaves. "On the condition, you do not leave anything out."  
Captain Rilaves leans forward. "Glenumbra, 5 years ago, give or take. We stopped for supplies. Far off course due to storms mind you. It had nothing to do with trouble finding... well you know. I returned to my ship after a nip of something fresh only to find an intruder in my hold. A glowing blue man in mage robes and a hood. His face covered. Offered a rather nice sum of gold if we took him to Murkmire and capture someone for him to sell into slavery. He even provided a binding collar and a binding spell. The Argonian he had our target was a mage of some kind. We don't usually go after those, but..the gold was worth it."  
"Binding collar," Iveryni interjects. "You saw it intact, do you know anything about it?"  
"Unlike anything I have ever seen." Captain Rilaves says. "The seam vanished when my men put it around his neck." he pauses, thinking back. "Truly unlike anything I have seen. Daedric, Ayleid , Dwemer? Could be any one of those. The metal was strange too."  
"What was the... glowing man's name?" Commander Devalonor says.  
"Never told me." Captain Rilaves says. "He paid enough gold to keep my questions at bay, you understand. And no, I have no idea why he was glowing. I thought him a spirit at first. He kept to himself, the only other thing I can tell you about him is he was furious at Viperish Night. Never said why."  
"Viperish Night." Commander Devalonor says. "Tell us about him. And what he looks like." he motions to Arveel to have his paper ready to sketch and Arveel moves so Rilaves can see.  
"Normally I could not tell you that." Captain Rilaves says. "I don't pay attention what the fetchers look like all that much. But this case was unique, so I paid more attention. Never know when easy gold is going to bite you in the ass." he sighs. "Bit more than me in the ass I think." he waves his head. "Yes yes, continuing. Dark grey scales with copper stripes. Horns all over...no not like that, yes more like that." he says. "Dark grey feathers, narrow viperish like face... yes, that's him. His eyes are white-blue. Oh!" Captain Rilaves says as Arveel finishes up. "One time I was in port, I had drinks with Thjonwulf. He told me he had bought Viperish Night and threw him in the gladiator ring. Thjonwulf likes to mark up his gladiators on their first match, so that picture needs 3 dark red claw marks on each side of the face, yes that. That is your lizard."  
Arveel hands the paper to Commander Devalonor. Iveryni looks at it too. "So that is our necromancer," she says.  
Commander Devalonor once more looks at Captain Rilaves. "One more thing. What was he like?"  
Captain Rilaves sighs. "Like most slaves. Dejected but resigned to their fate. Thjonwulf has...had no interest in him. He wanted the aggressive ones." he trails off thinking. "Thjonwulf said he went mad and murdered a bunch of Argonian's in the mine. Bought him from Nelimar after that."  
"Very well. I think we are done here." Commander Devalonor says.  
The three walk out of the hold. Commander Devalonor looks back at the paper. "This is going to be a hunt." he muses as the ship sails back to Ebonheart.

-The Cave-  
Stalks-in-Darkness trails his claws across the chains that bound Mentor and they glow brighter then fade leaving him unbound. "Viperish Night has exceeded even my expectations," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "And I did not forget you stayed my hand from killing him." Stalks-in-Darkness pauses and a feral grin crosses his face. "I thought him too soft at first, but in the end..." Stalks-in-Darkness throws his head back and laughs. "Every single living thing on that island, including his friends."  
Mentor's look is thoughtful. "He refused to raise those close to him. Even Titumus, who cut him so deeply."  
"It is no concern," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "He will now show no mercy to the living. If he shows sentimentality to the dead...it is of no concern, Mentor."  
"He, at last, gave in to the dark power," Mentor says. "Everything else had to vanish for him. His fear, his mercy. He had to throw everything away to meet the release condition and shatter the collar."  
"You know how wrong you were to be so impatient." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses. "And now..."  
"He will come to kill us," Mentor says dryly. "He has always wanted answers, and you gave him enough crumbs to start to find those answers, and us in time."  
"And now, we must lay more crumbs down," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "Where is Zirasha? It is time I speak with her."  
"Ah yes. The Altmer you scouted." Mentor says. "She's currently in Hew's Bane. You may wish to hurry. She's bound to get in a clash with the Thieves Guild, hunting on their territory. Considering she tends to leave her marks dead and not just devoid of gold and possessions."  
Stalks-in-Darkness turns and opens a swirling portal. He pauses. "And where is the other one?"  
"...Not someplace they should be," Mentor says with a grim look in his eyes. "One of the places I had hoped they would stay away from. They clearly have little sense, considering how long they've lingered there."  
"Unfortunate," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "If it comes down to it, interfere, but gently." he turns, his eyes narrowed. "If you blunder this, you will suffer."  
"Even I am not foolish enough to make a mistake with this," Mentor says.  
Stalks-in-Darkness turns back to the portal. "Perhaps you have learned from your past mistakes," he says and vanishes through the portal.

-Black Marsh - Eastern Coast-  
Stepping foot back in the marsh after so long. A lifetime it seemed. Viperish Night walks into the marsh from mangrove beach. It's as he remembers, the sights and sounds and smells. Viperish Night hisses softly. Pain, loneliness, and rejection. All the marsh gave him was despair, and so he wishes to show the marsh his river and drown it in the ice. But as strong as he is, he is not that strong. The marsh is vast and the Hist connects it all. Each tribe and their Hist, connected to the next and the next. Even just going after Mossyrocks would set the whole of the marsh against him. The Hist would not tolerate him washing the marsh and the tribes with waves of the undead. Viperish Night slowly frowns. The world has so very many living in it. How to drown a whole world, how to save it from the living's madness. He has no answer to this question as of yet.  
Viperish Night closes his eyes, casting his memories back. He is currently on the coast and Mossyrocks and Sunscales should be to the north and south of him, though much further in. Coppertails was west of Sunscales, and Deathfang? He would have to ask...but not an Argonian. He tilts his head. Even with the pact, the Dunmer Slavers still prowled, Oblivion's Isle was proof of that. If he stayed near the coast he should find them. And so, he moves south.

The Dunmer is begging for his life, pinned to a tree by decayed vines. Viperish Night strokes the vines amused. He had been curious if he could summon undead plant life, and it had risen to his call. The blood of the other Dunmer's helped. "You're the last one." Viperish Night hisses. "Tell me what I want to know, and I will set you free."The Dunmer sputters, calling him various names. Nothing Viperish Night had not heard countless times before. "Yes yes." Viperish Night says. "Damn Lizard, Damn Fetcher. I know slavers, I know Dunmer." Viperish Night leans in close to the Dunmer and whispers something. The Dunmer's eyes are so full of fear and this tips the fear to utter terror, and he, at last, gives Viperish Night what he wants. And then he begs to be set free. "Yes." Viperish Night says. "I promised to set you free, and so I shall." Viperish Night strokes the vines once more and they tighten, straggling the Dunmer until he's still and limp in their grasp. "Your free now. Free from pain and despair. Just as I promised." Viperish Night says to the corpse. He then turns to the Guar the Slavers had. They are just as dead, but by his will, one rises from his flesh. "Let's see how long you last." Viperish Night says. He's getting better at keeping them together longer. It had been an effort on the boat, but the more he raised, the deeper he fell into his magic. It was getting easier, despite the fact he had not used it for so long. Viperish Night mounts the skeleton Guar and rides deeper into the swamp. Deathfangs are even deeper in the marsh than Coppertails. It would take some time. Viperish Night tilts his head as the Guar rides. He would have to figure out how to open portals soon. Otherwise, his quest for answers was going to take a very long time.

-Black Marsh - Coppertail-  
Viperish Night stops near the Coppertail tribe. Nothing looks very familiar, but he was so very little when he left here with Tree-Minder he hardly remembers anything but the loneliness. He traces his claws through the vines on a nearby tree, they glimmer with luminescent gold and copper in the dark of the night. The luminescent guides him as he quietly walks until he reaches the egg-nest, where Argonian eggs rest in the orange Hist sap, visible even in the dark. His eyes move to the Hist tree, does it know he's here? Or is it as blind to him as he is to it? His eyes turn back to the eggs.  
"Do you mean to harm them?"  
Viperish Night's head turns and he pauses, so very still. He would know this Argonian anywhere. Tree-Minder. Viperish Night tilts his head. He can see through her. But she is an Argonian, therefore she cannot be a spirit. "Not right now," he says. Memories threaten to nibble on his tail, she had been like a mother to him. But she to, abandoned him, because her precious Hist commanded it. His eyes narrow at her.  
Tree-Minder's eyes sadden. "Your voice is so cold, my Keerasi-Zish."  
Viperish Night's eyes grow cold. "I go by Viperish Night now." he hisses. "I discarded the name given to me, by that which did not want me." he steps toward her. "What are you?" he demands. "The Hist, taking Tree-Minder's form?"  
"A memory, given form," Tree-Minder says. "Waiting for when you would return." she moves closer to him. "Keerasi-Zish, what has happened to you? I had hoped you would find your place. But...it is as the Hist feared, is it not?"  
"The world happened." Viperish Night says. "Monsters cut off all other rivers, save for death. But I swim it, instead of drowning in it. A choice...when there were little others."  
Tree-Minder is quiet for a few moments before lowering her head and closing her eyes. "I had hoped you would find peace. That you would find a river that suited you. Life and not this. Why, my Keerasi-Zish? Truly why?"  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "It is the song of death that sings to me. And I no longer wish to ignore it," he says.  
Tree-Minder's eyes open. "Then I weep for you."  
"You cast me aside." Viperish Night says. "The Hist cast me from the river, and my whole race did the same. For the crime of being born different. Not like the whole. Not like you."  
"The Hist speaks, and we listen," Tree-Minder says. "We are as one. But perhaps it was wrong to banish you. The Hist only did what it thought it needed to. For all of us."  
A glimmer of hate shimmers in Viperish Night's eyes then he closes then and shakes it off as he realizes something. His eyes open to lock on Tree-Minders. "You're dead," he says. "A memory given life by death."  
"The Hist said you would come," Tree-Minder says. "And so I rested under the Hist and bid myself to return to it."  
"Why?" Viperish Night says, confusion in his gaze.  
Tree-Minder turns from him. "This is not the river the Hist wanted. But now that it is here, we cannot stop it. And so... we will not stand in your way." she leads him to an ancient stump and turns to him. "Take what is yours," she says.  
Viperish Night kneels in the dirt and mud and reaches in, his claws closing over a watertight bag. He pulls it out and opens it. Inside is a shimmering blue crystal and a small earthen jar. Viperish Night looks up at Tree-Minder.  
"Memories," she says simply. "One contains memories of the Hist. The other memories of the one who brought your egg here. Both pertain to you, therefor both are yours."  
Viperish Night hisses as he rises. "You told me my egg just appeared one night," he says.  
"The Hist saw," Tree-Minder says. "The Hist kept it to itself, until now."  
"And the Hist did not think to tell one of you to destroy the egg before it hatched into a monster? Into an abomination?" Viperish Night says, his eyes starting to glow.  
"The Hist will not destroy the souls of one of its own," Tree-Minder says. "Even if that soul may be the end of us all."  
The marsh waters start to ripple, the vegetation moves even though there is no wind. "It just abandons it instead." Viperish Night says. "Somehow that is so much worse."  
"Keerasi-Zish... Viperish Night." Tree-Minder says. "I never wanted this to be truth. I wanted a different truth."  
Viperish Night turns from Tree-Minder. "...I did not want this either." Viperish Night says as he closes his eyes. The water calms as Viperish Night realizes his magic had been about to burst. Not yet. It was not yet time for that.  
Tree-Minder looks around and then at his back. "You will not alter your course. Of course. At this point the river cannot stop." she says.  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "At least you understand that much," he says. "The madness of this world, of the living. I will not abide it any longer, Tree-Minder."  
"Then let the river flow where it may," Tree-Minder says.  
Viperish Night turns, but she is gone as suddenly as she appeared. Viperish Night stares at the spot Tree-Minder was for a few long moments before he looks at the strange crystal and the jar and carefully puts them back in their bag. The crystal must be something that needs to be unlocked. And the jar...he does not trust the Hist. It needs to be tested for poison. He will have to head for one of the mage collages after Deathfang. There are things he needs. Proper clothes, a staff, and a book on how to create portals. He cannot simply run around Nirn as he is doing now. It would take far too long. Viperish Night's claws move across the air and the skeleton of a bear lizard rises from the swamp. Viperish Night mounts, yet does not yet ride away. His eyes close. The Hist protects the swamp, protects the Argonian's. So why will it just let him be? It makes little sense and he growls a little before opening his eyes, riding away from Coppertail without even a glance back.


	35. Act 3 - Binding Prophecy

-Hew's Bane-

She stands over a Redguard's body, blood dripping from the knife she holds in her right hand. Her sea-green eyes are locked onto his black ones as he lies there, bleeding to death. Her breath is held, and only when he breaths his last does she at last start breathing again. He had caught her, but she knew he would. She lingered long in his apartment, longer than she needed to. And when he had returned and caught her, she stabbed him and he fell. She shakes the blood off her knife before returning it to its sheath. Her eyes at last look around and she quickly grabs the bag stuffed with gold, gems, and other items of worth. Her gaze pauses on a floor-length mirror and she stops. Her hair is short, cut very roughly, leaving her long Altmer ears in stark relive, the right has a jagged scar running nearly to the tip. "Damn eyes," she says to the mirror. Always so wild after something like this, but that is not what bothers her. The trace of fear that is always running through them bothers her. She snarls and she kicks at the mirror, knocking it over and shattering it.  
"Zirasha."  
Her eyes widen and she spins, the bag crashing to the ground and her knife in her hand. An Argonian stands before her as if he came out of the shadows themselves. He looks like a shadow. He looks like...no wait. He would be dressed differently if that was the case. She relaxes, hides any fear she may have. "What do you want?"  
"You," he says, his blue-grey eyes locking onto hers. "If you agree to help me with something, I will give you what you desire most."  
Zirasha shifts nervously. "And what is that?" she asks.  
He laughs. The sound sends chills down her back. "I know what happened in Cyrodil. When they arrested you for thievery. Pretty little Altmer far from home in such a turbulent time. So young then. So naive, so innocent."  
Zirasha freezes, the hand holding the knife shaking despite her efforts to stop it. To not react. How could he know about that? She had just turned eighteen and had rebelled against everything Altmer, and ran away from Summerset, stowing away on a ship. "Just who ARE you?" she demands.  
"You may call me Stalks-in-Darkness," he says. "I am a friend. Help me, and I will show you how never to be caught again by anyone." he laughs. "Death will be involved as well. You like to kill, little Altmer."  
Zirasha grips the knife tighter, her eyes darting to the door and then to the window. "Why should I believe a word you say?" she asks.  
Stalks-in-Darkness is suddenly right in front of her. Zirasha recoils as he leans in and whispers something in her ear. She takes a few steps back.  
"Now little Altmer, are you in?" Stalks-in-Darkness asks her again.  
Zirasha sheaths her knife, wiping her palm on her pants "What do you need me to do?" she says.  
"What you do best," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "Steal and leave no witnesses. Come with me, and I'll explain the details." he turns and a portal opens and the Argonian passes through it. Zirasha snatches her bag from the floor and follows.

-Black Marsh-

The lizard-bear is dust the next night. Viperish Night rests under a tree. His eyes close and then bolt open again and he is up in an instant looking around. Skeleton Kagouti rises from the marsh, their eyes glowing in the gloom. Finally, Viperish Night eases, he was sure he saw that familiar and hateful blue glow. He is about to rest the skeletons and try to sleep when a golden glimmer catches his eyes. He stalks to a nearby tree and takes the pendent down from its branch. Simple in design, gold with silver markings, and a softly glowing blue gem in the middle. It seems to hum with power and he studies it, then his eyes snap back to the gloom of the night. "Come out." he hisses.  
"If you insist." A shimmer in the dark, and he appears. The blue glow surrounding the hooded figure in mage robes, his former mentor. Viperish Night stand so utterly still it is as if he is not even breathing. His eyes well up with utter hatred. "Betrayer." he slowly hisses. The Skeleton Kagouti charges his former mentor and passes right through him.  
"I thought you smarter than this," Mentor says with a sneer. "I thought you would have figured it out by now. I never was present. Just...a very fancy astral projection form." he holds up one hand and then shrugs. "Send your skeletons against me all you like. The result will be the same."  
Viperish Night's eyes lock onto Mentor's. "I will find you," he promises as more of the marsh's dead rises, their eyes glimmering from the water all around the two.  
"You can try," Mentor says. "Perhaps I'll even tell you one day." At Viperish Night's hiss, he continues. "Before you say or think anything else, I can tell you something very important," Mentor says. "I know where your egg-parents are."  
Viperish Night's eyes turn even colder. "Now," he says.  
Mentor smiles. "In time. Think of that before rushing to find me. I"ll tell you nothing if you jump ahead like that."  
Viperish Night's eyes track Mentor's every movement. Again, memories nibble on his tail. He pushes them away and holds out his hand. "What is this?" he says.  
"Think of a place you've been...it will draw upon your magic and open a portal to take you there," Mentor says. "It will need to recharge after each use. It combines its magical powers with yours to achieve this."  
"Why?" Viperish Night says.  
"I have my reasons," Mentor says.  
"Your reasons?" Viperish Night says, tilting his head. "Or HIS reasons?" Mentor just smiles at that. Viperish Night turns to go, but his next words halt him.  
"Before you leave..." Mentor says. "tell me, my former apprentice. How does it feel to have that much power at your claw tips?"  
Viperish Night is just silent at the question. He looks back at Mentor. Mentor laughs as he sees the answer in Viperish Night's eyes.  
Viperish Night turns and stares at the spot Mentor was for long moments. He will find Mentor...after he got what he needed from him. He would learn who this monster was so he could spit the name in his face before he kills him. Viperish Night turns and mounts one of the skeleton Kagouti and rides off into the night.

Far into the night does Viperish Night ride. He stops just before dawn, sitting on a log by an ancient tree. Viperish Night studies the necklace. A trap? Did his former mentor think he could manipulate him still? Viperish Night is tempted to fling it into the swamp, but instead, he places it in his bag. Mentor, Stalks-In-Darkness. They want something from him, they always did. Was it to turn him into this? Or something more? Stalks-In-Darkness... Viperish Night looks into the dwindling night.  
Memories. Nibbling on his tail. Viperish Night kept pushing them away but the past was literally haunting him. But it was not years past that his mind focused on but recent memories. The moment he let go and the collar shattered. The necromancy was overwhelming, it swept through him like rapids throwing him into the darkest abyss where his only thoughts were to destroy the ones who kept him bond and set his friends free. But somehow those thoughts merged into one singular desire. To drown the living and end their madness, setting them free unto death. It did not escape his notice either, that Zan'tabe tried to save him till the very end. He died right before Viperish Night's eyes. There had been the briefest of moments when perhaps he could have pulled it back. Not enough time for Zan'tabe, but perhaps for the others. But as he told Zan'tabe, he did not want to, not even to save them. Such a thought would have terrified him, once upon a time. But that was in the past. Viperish Night holds up his clawed hand. The power within these claws, within him. He remembers Daggerfall. The power he felt before in his days of wandering the Daggerfall lands was a pale shadow of the power he felt the night his collar shattered. The ice was so very cold at first and then...so very welcoming. No longer did he fear, regret, suffer. Instead, he was set free. Viperish Night knows more than that was drowned in the river that night. Love, mercy, kindness. In the end, he no longer trusted his friends, but he had still...cared for them. But the river washed it away and made it so very painless to see them dead. He felt so much anguish when he killed Titumus, even though Titumus had betrayed him and set to cut him down. There was no anguish when the rest of his friends died. And he had killed them as surely as he killed Titumus, even if it had not been his claws that took their lives. Viperish Night slides off the log and closes his eyes, leaning against it. 

-Mournhold Mages Guild-

Iveryni studies the papers from Oblivion's Isle. There is not anything new to be gleaned from them, but for now, it's all she has. She glances around the table. Commander Devalnor informed the Skald-King, who informed Queen Ayrenn and High King Emeric. They had ordered wanted posters to be made up and placed in the cities, the guard to keep watch, and tasked a small group with gathering information. She had been chosen for this group, due in part to her being one of the ones to see Oblivion's Isle with her own eyes, and her high magical talent. The rest of the members so far was the two Bretons, Rodyn Greenford, and his apprentice Theodyn Vautrine from the Mage's guild in Glenumbra. Rodyn was a tall Breton with short grey hair and a scruff of grey who was highly regarded. His apprentice Theodyn was young, messy brown hair and serious dark brown eyes far older than his age and he had to be younger than she, and she was only twenty-two. And from the Dominion, the Queen had sent her eye, the Khajiit known as Razum-dar. Tawny fur, red Mohawk, his reparation far proceeded him.  
"The threat is grave and they send children," Razum-dar says quietly to Rodyn as he reads the papers spread across the large table.  
"Iveryni is an exceptionally gifted mage. Inventing new spells as well as mastering ones far beyond her years. As for Theodyn, I am aware he is only seventeen. But he needs guidance. Since the loss of his sister years ago he's been adrift. He enrolled in the mages guild to follow her footsteps and I am uncertain it's the right path for him." The elderly mage looks thoughtful. "I am an old family friend to his family. Seeing the world and all its options is what he needs right now to decide to follow the mage's path or embark on something new."  
Razum-dar puts the paper down and picks up another. "It could be dangerous. This necromancer." Razum-dar's eyes look at the sketch of Viperish Night. "Necromancers. Always causing trouble." he sighs. "Razum-dar is getting too old for this."  
"Our purpose is to find this necromancer," Rodyn says. "Not wage war against him. That is left to the others. And if you can indeed convince the Vestige to aid our cause, so much the safer will they be."  
"This one has not seen her in many years," Razum-dar says. "Summerset was the last time this one has seen his old friend." An unreadable expression crosses his face.  
Theodyn turns his head toward them, apparently hearing something that caught his attention. "Are we headed to Valenwood then?"  
Iveryni raises one eyebrow. "You sit with the papers with a glum expression on your face, and now you perk up?"  
Theodyn pushes papers around. "Come on. She's the Vestige. The Bosmer hero who saved Nirn." he insists. "You don't want to meet her?"  
"Save me from hero worship." Iveryni sighs.  
Razum-dar chuckles. "Razum-dar thinks this is going to be interesting." he turns to Theodyn. "The Vestige lives in Shadowfen, not in Valenwood," he says. "We will be going to pay her a visit soon."  
Iveryni's brow wrinkles. "She lives in pact territory? I would think she would rather live in her homeland instead."  
"Jeziasi..." Razum-dar trails off. "How should Razum-dar put this? Jeziasi is a very unusual Bosmer."  
"When we meet her, do we call her The Vestige?" Theodyn asks. "Or...some other title?"  
Razum-dar laughs. "You should never call her that. She rather dislikes titles. Or being called a hero." Razum-dar shakes his head. "Yes, Razum-dar thinks this is going to be very amusing." Razum-dar rises. "Rodyn, a portal if you will?"  
Rodyn rises and Theodyn leaps right up and scurries to his mentor's side. Iveryni glances once more at the papers then heads over to the group. Nothing further can be learned from the records, and there are no other leads at present. 

-Shadowfen-

"This place is huge!" Theodyn says moving back and forth in front of the gate. "Jungle plants all over!" he declares.  
"I was never this young," Razum-dar says.  
Rodyn puts a hand to his chin. "Solitary, far in the depths of Shadowfen," he remarks.  
"Jeziasi is a bit of a loner." Razum-dar remarks. "This one was never sure if that was her default self or a result of the wars."  
"Wars have a bad habit of changing us," Rodyn says. "I remember the chill of Coldharber all too well when the mage and fighters guild was sent there during the war."  
"A Necromancer was to blame for a large part of that," Iveryni says. "And once more, Nirn is faced with the evil of necromancy. Mannimarco is to be cursed for bringing that taint into our world."  
A pall falls over the party, broken only by an Argonian female walking towards them. She has chocolate brown scales with tan speckles and one long fin running down her head. She looks them over and moves to Razum-dar. "You must be Razum-dar," she says. "You truly are a hansom Khajiit. Jeziasi spoke of you on occasion." she suddenly blinks. "Oh, forgive me. I am Tends-To-Trees. I am Jeziasi's groundskeeper."  
Razum-dar gives Tends-To-Trees a wide smile. "Razum-dar is flattered!" he says, running his hand through his crimson Mohawk. "We came to speak with my old friend. Is Jeziasi home?"  
Tends-To-Tree's fin dips. "I am used to her wanderings. But Razum-dar... Jeziasi has been gone longer than she ever has. I even spoke to the guards in Stormhold, but they could find no trace of her."  
Razum-dar frowns. "How long has she been gone for?"  
"Somewhat longer than three years, I think," Tends-To-Trees says.  
"Oh, dear," Razum-dar says. His eyes grow confused and worried. "The last time you saw her?"  
"When she returned from Summerset," Tends-To-Trees says. "I did not speak with her, however. She needed time. And then she went off with that handsome black scale for a few weeks. I thought it good for her, to get her mind off whatever troubled her, but when she came back she had such troubled eyes. It must not have ended well. I came to check on her the next day, and she was simply gone. I am here every day, and she has never returned."  
Razum-dar takes it in then smiles at Tends-To-Trees. "Jeziasi does like to wander," Razum-dar says. "Try not to worry. She'll turn up."  
The group quietly returns through the portal, back to the Mage's Guild.

-Mournhold Mages Guild-  
Razum-dar paces a distance away from Iveryni and Theodyn, who return to the fruitless task of trying to figure out their next steps.  
"Razum-dar?" Rodyn says quietly. "You seem more agitated than the situation demands. You said she wanders. Perhaps she decided not to return home."  
Razum-dar pauses and looks toward Iveryni and Theodyn, then moves out of speaking range and Rodyn follows. "...For reasons this one will not disclose I have ways of keeping tabs on Jeziasi if she travels to Dominion territory. And Razum-dar has many friends outside the Dominion who do the same. No one has informed Razum-dar of Jeziasi being...well anywhere."  
Rodyn brow wrinkled in confusion. "You speak of her as if she's a threat," Rodyn says.  
Razum-dar winces. "Jeziasi is Razum-dar's old friend," Razum-dar says. "She has saved Nirn on more than one occasion and sacrificed much in the attempts. But... some of her choices have been questionable. And for my Queen and the Dominion, I must keep watch on her." Razum-dar strokes his chin. "This one mistakenly thought she retired to Shadowfen. Razum-dar does not keep tabs on her there..she is due some privacy." Razum-dar shakes his head. "We will have to make do without her."  
The paper Iveryni is holding flutters from her hand as she closes her eyes. Slowly she rises from her chair and floats toward Razum-dar and Rodyn. Theodyn looks up and lets out a mouse-like squeak as he leaps up, the chair clattering to the floor, Razum-dar and Rodyn startle, and both stare at Iveryni as she stops before them and opens her eyes. They glow with unfathomable power and the lights in the guildhall dim. The walls seem to glow with the sun's golden rays and the moons' silver light. Iveryni speaks, but in a voice that is not her own.  
"Without the Vestige darkness is cast, With her, it may yet still be.  
Young heroes will find the eye, fate will catch them in her net.  
When all are found, seek the one that should not be, born of life and born of death.  
He seeks the relic that was lost to time and memory. A curse upon it, only he can wield it.  
If its power is unleashed on Nirn, the scales will be unbalanced and all will suffer in life and in death."  
The light fades from her eyes and she falls. Razum-dar dashes forward and catches her. He sighs as he sits her gently in a chair. "We did not need that," Razum-dar says.  
Theodyn is half hiding behind a chair. "What was that?" he says eyes wide. "Is she alright?"  
Rodyn kneels by Iveryni's side as her eyes slowly flicker open. She looks around in confusion. "I..." she trails off.  
"Azura, Queen of dawn and dusk," Rodyn says. "Things must be grim if she is interfering." He quickly scrawls down the words given to them and hands them to Iveryni.  
Theodyn starts to shake. "A...a...Daedric Prince?" he looks utterly lost.  
"Razum-dar could have done without a Prince sticking their noses in this." Razum-dar grumbles. "Always the most trouble when they show up."  
Iveryni sits up, her eyes tracking the words. "We need to find the Vestige, we need to find these heroes, and..." she trails off.  
"Yes," Rodyn says. "This is no longer an information hunt for you. The eye must refer to the Queen's Eye, Razum-dar. And." he looks at Iveryni. "Fate has called you to this. You set foot on the island, you saw what he did."  
Iveryni looks up at him. "Very well," she says. "If that is what I must do."  
"Why is this one in a prophecy? Razum-dar is not a babysitter." he crosses his arms and sighs. "Still...nothing this one can do about it. Princes." he hisses a bit.  
Theodyn moves from behind the chair and sits down looking downcast. "I...should go home," he says. "Fate would never pick me."  
"I think you are wrong about that."  
The group looks up to see an elder Breton mage standing in the doorway. Rodyn rises. "Magister Benry Claverie," he says, holding out his arm. The two shake as Benry sets a packet of papers down. "What brings you here from Stormhaven?"  
Benry places his hand on the pile of papers. "When the wanted posters were posted, I had a shock. I have met this necromancer, over 5 years ago. I had no idea he was a necromancer back then. He seemed harmless. Odd, but harmless."  
Theodyn is looking confused but does not seem inclined to interrupt Benry. Benry looks over at him and sighs heavily. "This Viperish Night walked into the guildhall in Stormhaven." he focuses his attention on Theodyn. "He was looking for your sister Seriana, Theodyn. This was after..." he trails off and sighs again. "I had to tell him what happened. He took it badly, ran out of the mage's guild in an upset. I sent one of the younger mages to find him, but he could not."  
Theodyn folds his hands together and looks down at them, trying to focus his attention on them, and not his sister. It had been a long time, he was much younger then. But still...he had never been able to fully get over it. "Maybe she was trying to help him." he finally says. "My sister was always doing that. Helping animals, people. If she saw a fellow mage practicing something they should not...she might try to help them. Are you sure he did not..." he trails off. "I know what they told us happened to her."  
Benry's face turns thoughtful as he thinks back. "I honestly do not think Viperish Night had anything to do with her death. The eyes I looked into was innocent, and the grief in them was real."  
Theodyn nods. "How then...could he change from that to someone who would..." he trails off. Death makes him uneasy.  
"My people's fault, in part," Iveryni says. "Some Dunmer refuse to give up their slaves, refuse to give up the slave trade. He was captured at some point, sold into slavery. It was one factor." she looks at Theodyn. "Your sister knew him, before. You know what that means."  
"What?" Theodyn says.  
"The net has its grip on you!" Razum-dar says. "So Razum-dar has two little ones to look after. This is why this one never married."  
Rodyn rises. "I will assist you when I can, but this is no longer my task. It's yours."  
Theodyn leaps up nearly falling. "But I can't do it without you! I can't do it with you! I..." he quiets as Rodyn moves to him and puts a hand on his shoulder.  
"You can. You're more than you think, Theodyn. You are not a replacement for your sister, you are your own man. It's time for you to find your path." Rodyn says.  
Theodyn looks up at him and then the others. "I'll try my best," he says.  
"Remember to practice with steel as well as magic," Rodyn says. At Theodyn's startled look he smiles. "Yes, I know about the sword you keep stashed away. I brought it, in fact. It's with your things in the inn."  
Iveryni rises as well. "We should rest before tomorrow, we can read these over dinner."  
"They are any reports we have of Viperish Night," Benry says. "Gathered from all over Daggerfall. There is no record of him being noticed practicing necromancy, but there were some strange necromantic activities in Rivenspire and Bangkorai. Those are included." he turns to leave. "I need to return my hall now. I'll tell you if anything else is dug up."  
Both Benry and Rodyn leave, heading back to their respectful guild halls. Iveryni's eyes turn to Razum-dar. He looks at the two, thoughtful. "This one has two leads we can check out in regards to Jeziasi. As for Viperish Night, perhaps the papers will give us some clues."  
"I have never been outside of Glenumbra before today," Theodyn says, still looking a little lost.  
"Good thing the guild halls have portals!" Razum-dar says with a purr. "We will be visiting Vivec City and Anvil." he swaggers up and starts to the door. "Come on, this one is famished."  
Theodyn rises and follows Razum-dar and Iveryni out the door to the inn.


	36. Act 3 - Searching Under Rugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Small warning - slight self-mutilation near the end, if your disturbed by such, skip the italics)

-Vivec City-  
Razum-dar, Theodyn, and Iveryni leave Vivec's city's mage guild to wander the confusing labyrinth of halls that leads to the palace. Theodyn is looking at everything, nearly tripping over his own feet. "This is not a vacation," Iveryni says.  
"I know that!" Theodyn says. "It's just...amazing. And..." they find their way to the door that leads to the outside and as they walk Theodyn looks up into the sky. "Scary," he says. "I'm not sure I would want to live with that thing over me."  
Iveryni glances up. "Lord Vivec keeps the Dunmer safe from the Moonlet and the Red Mountain."  
"Living Gods," Razum-dar says, and as Iveryni looks at him he holds up his paws. "Razum-dar is the Queen's eye, this one knows how to be respectful."  
Theodyn looks away from the Moonlet just as a Dunmer hurries up to them. "Queen's eye," he says addressing Razum-dar. "Your request came in last night. Please follow me." he turns and leads the three to an enormous flight of stairs and starts up them. Razum-dar growls at the stairs and the three follow the Dunmer up to the palace and through the doors. He leads them to the audience chamber doors. "Lord Vivec will see you now," he says, opening the doors. "Will the other two wait here?"  
Razum-dar glances at Iveryni and Theodyn, brow furrowed in thought. Finally, he says, "They will not, this concerns them as well." Razum-dar steps forward and walks through the doors, followed by Iveryni and Theodyn.  
Lord Vivec is waiting for them. He sits cross-legged, hovering in midair. A golden glow surrounds him and he slowly opens his eyes to regard his guests. Razum-dar walks to him and bows his head slightly, Iveryni, and Theodyn following his example. Iveryni's eyes shine as she glances at him and Theodyn is doing his best not to stare. "This one thanks you for meeting us."  
"Recent events have disturbed the peace." Lord Vivec says. "I was made aware of the necromancer that decimated the population of an island." he pauses. "I was unaware of this island's existence."  
"Of course," Razum-dar says with a cunning smile. "It is against current policies. That you support. But of course, it's not today's business. We are set to find and stop this necromancer, but we are in need of Jeziasi and my sources have come up empty. So Razum-dar comes asking the Living God's if they have any insight in this."  
"Jeziasi has not been in Vvardenfell since the incident with Barbas and Clavicus Vile. I would know if she had." Lord Vivec says.  
"And did you have a chance to speak with Sotha Sil?" Razum-dar. "This one knows my request was placed in haste, so this one understands if you did not."  
"Sotha Sil's exact words on this was, Jeziasi has fallen outside my sight. Her continued existence is in question." Lord Vivec says.  
Razum-dar frowns. "She cannot be dead. We had... an interesting visitor last night. From what they said, Jeziasi is alive. But..." Razum-dar shrugs. "It is a mystery." Razum-dar nods his head toward Lord Vivec. "We thank you for your time. You will be kept informed of the current state of events regarding the current threat." he turns to go and Theodyn and Iveryni start walking toward the doors.  
"One further thing." Lord Vivec says.  
Razum-dar turns back to Lord Vivec. "Razum-dar is all ears."  
"Jeziasi has helped Vvardenfell and helped me. It is not something I shall forget. That is why I have chosen to ignore House Telvanni's most serious accusations against her." Lord Vivec narrows his eyes. "She is the Champion of Vivec, but it would be best if she never sets foot on Vvardenfell again. I know these accusations to be truth."  
"I will inform her, should we be lucky enough to find her," Razum-dar says and walks out. 

On the way back to the mage's guild Iveryni falls in step with Razum-dar, as Theodyn trails slightly behind, still mesmerized by the sights, though he seems a little troubled as well. "Razum-dar, what did Jeziasi do?" she says.  
"This one is not sure," Razum-dar says. "This is not a place Razum-dar has eyes and ears in."  
"Sorry to interrupt, but an Argonian's following us." Theodyn chimes in.  
Razum-dar's eyes narrow and he spins around hissing, withdrawing his sword in one swift movement. Iveryni's hand moves to her staff, and magic starts to glow upon it.  
A high-pitched frightened hiss and the Argonian in question scurries behind a crate. Slowly they peek their head around.  
Razum-dar sighs and puts his sword away. "Razum-dar says it's not a good idea to say something like that Theodyn when we are on the hunt for a dangerous Argonian."  
"Sorry," Theodyn says sheepishly as he looks toward the crate.  
Iveryni sighs and puts her staff away. She kneels down. "Come out, we won't hurt you."  
The Argonian creeps out, her scales are a rosy brown with soft sea-green speckles. Two small horns creep out the back of her head and her eyes are mossy green. "I did not mean to stalk you," she says in a soft voice. "You mentioned Jeziasi, and I could not help myself. I am Softly-Speckled-Crab"  
"So you know Jeziasi?" Razum-dar says.  
"Of her," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "She saved us years ago. All of us were enslaved by the Telvanni. They refused the pact, refused to release us. And she came and killed the Dunmer at the mines and set us free." Softly-Speckled-Crab bows her head. "Most decided to allow the smugglers to take them home, but I was born here and my parents are gone, so I stayed. I hoped one day to find her and thank her."  
"That would explain why the Telvanni is angry with her," Razum-dar says, his paw to his face.  
"She really is a hero," Theodyn says. "Swooping in to free slaves and punish the slavers! Though she should have just arrested them or something."  
"It's never that simple," Iveryni says. "Such things must be done through proper channels. It sounds as if she went off on her own against the Telvanni. They are a powerful house, it is one reason they have not faced sanctions for refusing pact law."  
"Jeziasi is complicated," Razum-dar says. "And sometimes a little too reckless."  
"The accusations are more serious than just that."  
The four turn to see yet another person has overheard them. Razum-dar sighs. "We should not be discussing this out in the open." He holds out his paw to the Dunmer woman who has spoken. "Come back to the mage's guild with us, and tell this one what you mean?" Razum-dar asks. "Razum-dar would like to know your name as well."  
The woman narrows her eyes at them. "I don't think so. Your hero did not just attack a single mine and free the slaves there. She went up the coast from Telvanni territory slaughtering slavers and devouring them." A stunned silence falls over the group. "Yes, that's right. Your precious hero did that, and more besides." her eyes shimmer with a glimmer of repressed pain before hardening. "The Telvanni issued a writ of execution against her. Only Lord Vivec's influence stopped the Morag Tong from accepting." She turns her back on the party and stalks off.  
Razum-dar stares after the woman for long moments before turning back to the others. "Razum-dar has a guess who that was. But we should move on to our next stop. Enough has been said out in the open." he looks at each of them in turn and their questions die on their lips.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves forward and places her claw on Razum-dar's arm. "I can come, right?" she says. "I want to meet her. Despite what that angry Dunmer said." she pauses and adds. "I have been learning the healings arts. I can be helpful. Alchemy and a little magic."  
Razum-dar regards Softly-Speckled-Crab. "It will be dangerous. Jeziasi is not the only one we are looking for. But..." he trails off and Iveryni continues his train of thought.  
"She is one of us," Iveryni says. "It is not a coincidence she overheard us. She is meant to be with us."  
"I'm Theodyn," Theodyn says shyly. "This is Iveryni and Razum-dar."  
The group, now four, head toward the mage guild and the portal.

-Anvil-  
Later that night the group gather in the largest inn room. Iveryni sits on one of the beds, Theodyn sits on the floor with Softly-Speckled-Crab. Razum-dar stands over them, arms crossed. "Vvardenfell could have gone better," he admits.  
"I am aware from my studies Bosmer traditions deal with that sort of thing." Iveryni says "But that is in Valenwood. Most races would not accept such a thing outside of Valenwood. "  
"The Bosmer...what?" Theodyn says. "I need to study more. Or do I. They EAT people?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab munches on bread she brought up from dinner. "Every race has strange traditions and practices," she says. "Some of the Argonian ones my parents told me about sound so strange."  
Razum-dar holds out a paw. "As far as I know, Jeziasi is not one of the Bosmer that practice that tradition. As for what that Dunmer woman said, it would be best taken at face value." he sighs as he looks at the group. He knows Jeziasi's secrets...it was why he kept an eye on her. But he had never informed anyone else, not even his Queen. Jeziasi had never done anything against the Dominion...so he kept her secrets. She had earned that much. "This one must meet with someone. Alone," he says.  
"Why alone?" Iveryni says. "You allowed us in with Lord Vivec."  
"Because Razum-dar says so." At the three questioning eyes staring at him, Razum-dar sighs. "This man is very dangerous. He may not even meet with me, and he certainly would not meet with a group. Razum-dar will return soon. Stay in the inn until this one returns." he pads to the door and walks out.  
Theodyn leans against the wall looking a little lost. "So it's not true?" he asks.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab finishes her bread. "There were rumors of slavers being killed," she says. "It could be true."  
Iveryni watches Theodyn and then moves from the bed to sit next to him. "Heros are people just like us," Iveryni says softly. "No mortals are perfect. And we don't know the full truth behind all this."  
Theodyn sighs "I think I know that. But how is killing anyone ever right? Most of the time...it seems as if those who die don't deserve it, like my sister. I don't want anyone to die."  
"It's not that simple," Iveryni says. "It never will be. Life is hardly fair."  
"Dry scales are confusing," Softly-Speckled-Crab says rising. "I am going to get more bread." she opens the door and a commotion of sounds crashes in. Swearing, things being knocked over. "...no bread," Softly-Speckled-Crab says sadly and she starts to close the door. But before she can a young man bursts in.  
"I did not do it!" he declares and then dives to the floor and wiggles under the bed. Softly-Speckled-Crab blinks and closes the door.  
Iveryni leaps up staff in hand. "Crab! we need to get the authorities, not close the door!"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab gets down on her belly and stares at the man under the bed. "He said he did not do it," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "We must hide him."  
"People lie!" Iveryni snaps. "He could be a murderer for all we know."  
Theodyn gets up, his hand reaches for his sword instead of his staff and he pauses when he realizes this. "We could ask him first," he says.  
"People lie and deceive!" Iveryni says again.  
"I like his eyes," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Like a pond at night." she gazes at the man. "Your not bad are you?" she says.  
He looks up from under the bed at Softly-Speckled-Crab and then glances at Iveryni and Theodyn as if just realizing what a strange group he has found. "I did not kill anyone. Ever!" the man declares. "I just...might have stole something."  
Yelling from the street outside, it seems as if they think the thief ran out into the night. The man crawls out from under the bed. "I just needed a little gold," he says. His black eyes move to each in turn as if pleading with them and he runs his hand through his short and messy black hair. A jagged scar runs across the side of his neck. "Look, thank you for not turning me in," he says.  
"Yet," Iveryni says. "Who are you?"  
Theodyn studies him. "Your not a Breton are you?" he asks.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab pokes her claw gently against his scar, seemingly fascinated by it.  
He scoots back a little overwhelmed by the questions and attention. "Rufico and I am uh...not. Imperial." he looks uneasy as he answers. "And I was in a house. And no, Dark Elf not mine. I ran into another thief...she went crazy when she saw me and slashed my throat. Luck usually hates me but not that day." his finger traces the scar. "Damn crazy Altmer."  
"It's Iveryni, not Dark elf," Iveryni says. "The Breton is Theodyn and the Argonian is Softly-Speckled-Crab." she studies him closely. The fact he failed to produce a last name has not escaped her scrutiny. "Why do you behave like a ruffian instead of proper?" she asks.  
"I'm not good at anything else," Rufico says. "I ran away from home when I was thirteen. Never went back." he folds his arms across his chest.  
"How old are you?" Theodyn asks.  
"...Eighteen," Rufico says. "Give or take. I never kept much track after I ran off."  
Iveryni's gaze tightens. "Where did you live before you ran away?"  
Rufico looks down, his hair hiding his eyes. "Imperial City," he says softly. "Just stop asking questions already." he gets up and moves to the window.  
Theodyn looks confused and looks at Iveryni. She glances at Theodyn and she says soft enough only he and Softly-Speckled-Crab can hear. "He ran away during the Plane Meld Crisis."  
Theodyn's face goes white and he looks at Rufico. The stories that came from Cyrodiil from then were nightmares filled with Daedra and necromancers and horror.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab looks at Rufico and then rises and leaves. She returns a few minutes later with enough bread for everyone. She walks up to Rufico and hands him a piece and he thanks her. "I was a slave," she says. "Now I'm free and with this group." she looks at Theodyn and Iveryni. "He can come with us right?" she asks.  
Rufico nearly chokes on the piece of bread he's eating. "Wait, what?" he says.  
"Are you..." Iveryni starts to ask and then trails off.  
"He should come with us." Softly-Speckled-Crab insists. "He belongs with us."  
"We should ask Razum-dar when he returns then," Theodyn says.  
"Again, what?" Rufico says, bewildered.  
Iveryni leans back and closes her eyes repressing a sigh. 

-Just Outside Anvil-

Razum-dar waits in the night outside the city limits, the only light from the moons and stars. One of his paws grips his sword as he waits with a nonchalant air. Soon the air shimmers and the darkness parts, a hooded figure stepping out to stand before Razum-dar. The wind picks up, blowing Razum-dar's fur and the figure's dark robes. "Let me see," Razum-dar says. "You are Speaker Terenus, correct?"  
Terenus's eyes narrow. "It disturbs me that you know how to contact me and my name. You tread dangerous waters, Queen's eye. The Void may take you this night."  
Razum-dar's hand tightens on his sword but his face shows nothing but ease. "Razum-dar can keep silent, that is your creed yes? Along with murder."  
"State your business," Terenus says in a tone fraught with threat.  
"Razum-dar needs to state this upfront first. To avoid misunderstandings." Razum-dar says. "This one is the Queen's Eye, what Razum-dar found out, he found out on his own." he pauses and his eyes narrow. "Has Jeziasi returned to your ranks?"  
Silence is Terenus's response. It oozes and taints the night as if daring Razum-dar to give up and flee before it's too late. But Razum-dar holds his ground, his eyes never leaving Terenus's. "Jeziasi is no longer one of our sisters." Terenus finally utters. "A unique situation, Nocturnal threatened even our Dread Lord. Therefore she was given leave to return to her old life without consequence, save she never seeks us out again."  
"Razum-dar sees," Razum-dar said. "This one had to ask. So the last time you saw her was before Summerset."  
"Correct," Terenus says. "Queen's Eye, I will say this, for our Mother has given me leave to say it. The only reason I do not kill you for your impudence is because the current threat could threaten souls that the Void will have claim over. See to it Jeziasi sets things to right, again." Terenus turns and the darkness engulfs him, leaving Razum-dar alone.  
Razum-dar runs a paw through his mohawk. "Damn it," he says. "Another dead end. Jeziasi, where did you wander off to?" he turns to head back to the inn.

-Anvil-  
Razum-dar and Rufico are face to face. "So somehow when this one was gone, you adopted a thief," he remarks.  
"Hey now!" Rufico said. "I never said I was coming with you. In fact, NO! All these three can talk about is necromancers and Daedric princes and death, death, death!"  
Razum-dar purrs. "They look for you, you know." he leans in closer. "You stole a diamond ring from a wealthy patron."  
Rufico is silent before throwing up his hands. "Alright, I'll tag along with you then."  
Razum-dar holds out his paw. Rufico sighs before digging into his pocket and putting the diamond ring in Razum-dar's paw. "Razum-dar will return this quietly and we shall return to Mournhold tomorrow," Razum-dar says. He looks at the group. "Tonight was a dead end as well. Razum-dar is out of ideas, for now. We will return to the Mage Guild and spend time on the notes from Daggerfall for now."

-DeathFang Tribe-

The skeleton wamasu seems to fly over the marsh, crashing through water and mud, weaving around trees and heavy plant clusters, and veering well out of the way of any tribes or Argonian's. Viperish Night found that if he slept in a meditative state, he could keep the skeleton running why he rested. And therefore a journey that should have taken much much longer, was so very shorter. And so, he finds himself at the outskirts of Death Fang Tribe just before sunset. The wamasu shudders and returns to the grave as Viperish Night leaps down. Massive mangroves surround the village, casting it in darkness even when the sun still shines. The plants here are wilder, the water darker and deeper. This is a place where shadows gather. It is a fitting birthplace for a monster. The eyes of crocodiles follow Viperish Night as he slides into the water, swimming into the village. He rises and looks around. It is very quiet, this is a tribe that lives in the night, rather than the day. But their Hist has woken the Deathtribe and eyes of green and gold open as the tribe slinks out of their huts to meet the intruder. The one that is an abomination. Viperish Night's eyes narrow as he stands on the edge of the village and waits, his eyes drifting over the Argonian's that watch him. All have various shades of grey and black scales, green or gold eyes, and horns, though the shape and placement are different for each.  
Soon an older Argonian walks out of a central hut, she is decorated with a headdress of jet black feathers. She stops ten feet from Viperish Night. "I am Elder Nem-Ranier, and we know who you are," she says. "You should not be in the marsh. The Hist's will is for us to let you be, but if you strike against us, that will change and the Deathfang tribe is one of the fiercest in the swamps!" she bears her fangs in a mighty hiss.  
Viperish Night's eyes fall on her golden eyes. So that was an answer he had been wondering about since speaking with Tree-Minder's memory. What the Hist would do if he waged war against the marsh, if he murdered all the Argonian's his eyes set upon, as he very much wanted to. They never even tried to accept him, even as he hid his magic to fit in. It was madness, as was the Hist. Madness that made his scales itch, madness he wanted to drown. Holding back...was so very hard. Viperish Night clenches his fist, drops of blood falling upon the mud. A rush of wind tainted with the grave, and the marsh waters are soon glowing with unholy blue eyes. Crocodiles, wamasu, and things he should never raise, but did. He holds out his claws to the Elder. "Tell me what I want to know," he says. "And I'll leave here in peace. Don't, and I will risk your wrath." his eyes shimmer in the last dying rays of the sun. "I destroyed an entire island, one little tribe is nothing...the rest of the tribes will never save you in time."  
"Deathfang NEEDS no one to save it!" Nem-Ranier hisses and echoing hisses from the village ring out, as do weapons being drawn. "Still...we will stay our hand. What do you want?" she says.  
"One simple thing." Viperish Night says moving closer to her. "Stalks-in-Darkness is a monster I need to kill. He was hatched here, or so he claims." Viperish Night looks around at the Argonian's. "He looks like you." he tilts his head. One key difference, Stalks-in-Darkness's eyes were a very different color than theirs. But then again, Viperish Night's eyes were very unlike Coppertail's typical eye color.  
"Stalks-in-Darkness," Nem-Ranier says. "That is a Tamrielic name, not a Saxhleel name." She steps toward Viperish Night. "Only Deathfang looks as we do. If he looks like us, then his egg was hatched under the favored sign."  
"A shadowscale." Viperish Night says. "Where are they taken?"  
"You must know the answer to that." Nem-Ranier hisses. "Shadowscales would never tell where they take the hatchlings to. They take them to train, and some are sent to the Brotherhood." she laughs. "Go seek the Shadowscales and Brotherhood out if you want. It will be your death. Now leave. We will give you a fight if you do not. We will die as warriors. But Deathfang tribe will make sure it costs you, and you will never leave the marsh if you dare."  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Someday, I will dare. And on that day...I'll free you all." he turns. "The Hist, The Argonian's, your both fools. You could have accepted me. Instead..." he turns his eyes back to look at her and hatred simmers in his eyes before he turns away. A wamasu skeleton rises from the swamp and Viperish Night leaps upon it and flies back into the marsh.

-Black Marsh - Some distance away.-  
Viperish Night sits on a tree branch, holding the necklace up before him. It shimmers and he hisses at it before lowering his hand. He might use it. It would take him too much time to travel out of the swamp, even as fast as a wamusu skeleton could go. But he does not trust it... Viperish Night leans back against the tree and looks up at the sky. The moons have risen, their cold light shining down upon him. He turns his head quickly away and focuses on different thoughts. Stalks-in-Darkness...he thought him a monster, but he never thought he was a shadowscale. Shadowscales was rarely spoken off, eggs hatched under the favored sign was taken in the dead of night, and most never seen again. The Argonian's would be trained as assassins, some given over to the Dark Brotherhood. Confusion crosses over his eyes. Why would an assassin act as Stalks-in-Darkness did? And even if that is how they acted, why would he be so very interested in Viperish Night? Viperish Night stares out into the night. Of course... that had become a very stupid question. He had met other necromancers. He had seen their powers. And even back in Daggerfall, he had surpassed their power. Now? Now he could do things they could only dream off. This world and the living in it...they wanted power. And if they could not grasp it in their claws, they sought others who had it. To control, manipulate. Still...there was more to Stalks-in-Darkness's attention than just that. Viperish Night stands and rises. The list of things he needed was growing. Robes, a staff. He needed books on crystals and how to access memories within one. He needed to test this necklace, this amulet for hidden traps. The Hist sap for poison. A book on the Brotherhood, should one exist. One place he could find all of that. The Mage's guild. Viperish Night tilts his head. It should just be night in Glenumbra as well. 

-Glenumbra - Daggerfall-

Viperish Night's eyes open. The streets are dark and there is no one near the ally he has appeared in. The amulet worked as his former mentor had said, Viperish Night thought of Glenumbra and so the portal opened and he was here. He stalks out of the ally and looks around. It has been so very long since he was here last. Stands cast in shadows greet him and he remembers the marketplace stands. He quietly walks toward them, his eyes looking for guards. They may stop him, Viperish Night is clad only in a pair of pants and the mud of the marsh is upon him still.  
"Oh!" A voice as he walks past a stand. Viperish Night stops and turns to the voice, a mid-age female Breton is looking at him. "I'm running late...are you..." she looks at him her brow furrowed.  
Viperish Night moves closer to her and her stand. Mage staffs, runes, various other things. His claws run over one staff and his claws reach for a pouch. He had taken the gold from the ship. "This," he says. "And a robe...if you have any."  
The Breton takes the pouch and frowns. "I don't usually carry any, though I have one my nephew brought me to sell. He found it somewhere...but I don't think you want it. It's rather sinister-looking."  
"Acceptable." Viperish Night says. The woman shrugs and hands it to him along with the staff. "Let me count the gold and see to your change then..." she frowns and looks around, Viperish Night seems to have vanished. "Don't you want your change?"

Viperish Night stands before the mage guild, the robe fitting nicely on his frame, though he had to alter it a little for his tail. Its grey and black with crimson markings. The hood is pulled up over his head casting his face in shadows. The staff is on his back, a familiar weight, though he has not had one in so very long. He moves to the mage guild and walks inside. It's quiet, most of the mages have gone for the day. He looks around and heads upstairs, browsing through the books. He hisses. So very many books. His claws move to one and he takes it down before continuing his search.  
"I'm Brei, Need help finding something?"  
Viperish Night freezes, his head moving slightly. A male Breton in a mage's robe. Viperish Night's claws catch on the bag and he withdraws the crystal. "What is this?" he says.  
Brei takes it with a gasp and holds it up to the light. "An Ayleid memory crystal!" he hands it back to Viperish Night and breezes through the books. "Here, this will tell you about them and how to use them. It's a little tricky, but there are Ayleid ruins all over the place."  
Viperish Night holds the blue crystal up before putting it back and then tucking the book under his arm. "This next." he puts the pot in Brei's eager hands. "I need it tested for poison. And this." he gives Brei the amulet. "Test it for hidden traps."  
"You are full of goodies," Brei says as he marches over to the alchemy table. "Sabri, can you test this for me?" he hands the jar to a female Breton with long brown hair. She sighs and takes it.  
"Helping with every little thing again, Brei?" she says as she opens the jar and takes a small sample out onto the alchemy table.  
"I like being helpful," Brei says. "And this guy has tons of interesting things. I think this is a portal amulet," he says in amazement.  
"Of course," she says as she tests the sample not bothering to look up. "Hist sap," she remarks. "Nothing dangerous about it, but you should not drink it if your not an Argonian." Brei takes the pot and hands it back to Viperish Night and hands the amulet to Sabri. She tests it as well, finding nothing sinister about it. "Yes, you are correct. These are really rare. They usually only last a few charges but this one's different. It should last as long as you let it recharge properly." She rises and looks at it. "You would not want to sell it, would you...Sorry did not catch your name."  
Viperish Night holds his claws out. "No," he says.  
"Thought I'd ask," Sabri says sadly as she moves to give it back, raising her head to look at Viperish Night. She suddenly freezes and the necklace falls from her hands.  
Brei catches it. "Sabri! I think he would be mad if you broke it. Sorry, I ..." he looks at Sabri who's turned white and is backing up slowly. "What's wrong?"  
Viperish Night snatches the amulet from Brei, his eyes narrowing at Sabri. "You act as if you know me," he says softly. "Why is that?"  
Sabri tries to speak but fails. She keeps backing up till she hits a wall. Brei glances at Sabri, then the wall. There is a wanted poster posted on the wall. Slowly Brei looks back at Viperish Night. The candlelight is just at the right angle to cast his face in stark relive from beneath his hood, the crimson scars vivid in the flickering light. "I am an idiot." Brei breaths. "Hey, we helped you, right? We won't tell anyone you stopped by. So just be on your merry way?"  
Viperish Night's hand shoots forward and he grabs Brei's robe, hosting him up in the air and he tosses him toward the window, Brei crashes through it and falls to the ground below with a sickening thump. Sabri turns her head away. "Please..." she says.  
"Please what?" Viperish Night says in an icy voice. "Have mercy?" he grabs her by the throat and she struggles, whimpering in fear. "Mercy was drowned in the river." he says, tightening his grip and snapping her neck before tossing her out the window as well." he stalks to the poster and stares at it. His face looks back at him. Under the drawn picture of his face is various words, warnings. Wanted and necromancy stands out. How did...he tilts his head. The Dunmer...did they keep records? They must have. Viperish Night hisses and moves to the window. No one heard the crash. He stares down at the bodies before leaping out the window, landing nimbly on the ground. The two mage's body's jerk as they rise as the undead. He does prefer skeletons, but that may leave evidence behind, though the window...perhaps he had been a little rash with that. Viperish Night shrugs and walks out of town, the two zombies following him. He'll ditch them where no one will find them, at least for a little while.

-The Cave-  
Zirasha stalks the cave, Mentor's eyes following her the whole time. "He gave you a way out, so stop pacing like a trapped animal." Mentor snaps at her. "It's giving me a headache."  
Zirasha turns on him and snarls. "My knife right there," she says, pointing right between her eyes. "Whatever your name is. You know what, I'm going to call you pond scum."  
"You are a perfectly charming Altmer, aren't you?" Mentor says sarcastically.  
Zirasha's eyes turn murderous and she spins stalking as far away from the pond scum as she can, picking a rock to sit on in the far corner. Her knife is suddenly in her hands and she starts to idly play with it. Being cooped up waiting....it made her want to leave Almost. She would...if not for what Stalks-In-Darkness whispered to her. She would stay for him. Steal for him. Kill for him. All for what he promised and what the whisper convinced her he spoke truth. The blade spins in her hands and finally comes to rest as Zirasha settles down somewhat. She puts it away before she's tempted to use it. She glances back and glares at pond scum. Perfect...that had always been the problem. Her race strived for it, Alaxon. She had run away from it when she turned eighteen, unable to imagine her life striving for it, and for living up to her family's expectations. She knew little of the world outside of Summerset and ran far away. Too far during a time of strife and war and insanity and when what happened, happened, it utterly shattered her and she did what anyone would do. She went home. Zirasha's eyes close. Damn that pond scum. Bringing up these kind of memories.

_Somehow Zirasha had made it out of Cyrodiil after. The journey was a shards of memory mixed in a swirl of fear and horror. Danger had been everywhere. Daedra, necromancers, Imperials, and outside armies from other lands. It was chaos, it was something she should have never been able to escape from in her current state. But somehow she made it out of that cursed place and found a Thalmor embassy. Requested that they return her home. All she had to do is drop her family name, and that was all it took to have them get her home as fast as possible. She never told them what happened, and when she returned home, she never told her family either. Just returned like a little meek mouse willing to return to the Altmer way of life after a slight detour._

_Zirasha sits in front of the fancy table with the gilded mirror, the sounds of a gathering drifting up from downstairs. Two weeks of stony silence from her parents, utterly disappointed in her. Until the silence broke. Merindil wished to begin the long courtship dance with her and her parents greatly approved of Merindil and his bloodline. It would pair perfectly with Zirasha's illustrious line. Zirasha had not been able to say no. The look in her parent's eyes said it all. You disappointed us once, now you must become a proper Altmer female and bring honor to us all, and strive for Alaxon. Be the perfect Altmer you should want to be.  
Zirasha picks up the jeweled hairbrush, running it through her perfect Altmer hair. Long and so blond it was near white, it brought out the beauty in her blue-green eyes. Those eyes look up at the mirror and what Zirasha sees in them is not beauty and perfection, but fear and despair. "Pretty Little Altmer." the words ring in Zirasha's head and she suddenly snarls and throws the brush at the mirror shattering it. The pieces cascade over the table and floor. A large one shimmers at her, as long as a knife. Zirasha picks it up, holding it in her right hand. Pretty little Altmer. Perfect little Altmer. Her eyes narrow. She will not HAVE it! She will not have this life, this perfect visage staring back at her. Zirasha grabs her hair with her left hand, her perfect hair, and starts to butcher it with the mirror shard ignoring the pain as it cuts into her hand. Soon most of her pretty perfect hair is littering the ground and table. Zirasha's remaining hair is short and jagged now. But...it is not enough. Her hair will grow back, someone will style it and trim it and it will be perfect again. Her hand shakes and she stares at her face in the shard. Zirasha brings the shard up and slashes it down her perfectly shaped Altmer ear and down her perfectly crafted face Blood wells up and streams down, splattering her gorgeous dress with crimson. She throws the shard across the room as a knock comes at her door. She turns her head toward it.  
"Zirasha, you will be late, are you not dressed yet?"  
Her Mother. "A few more minutes," she says, and only when her Mother's footsteps fade does she stand. She opens the door and walks to the stairs and descends them. Everyone is waiting for her to appear and be a perfect little Altmer. It's expected after all.  
"There you are..." Her mother freezes, the wine glass falling from her hands to shatter on the ground. The rest of the guests stare at Zirasha in utter disbelief. Zirasha, dressed in the finest of gowns, that is now streaked with blood. Her hair shorn in uneven jagged cut. And the most heinous of all, the jagged wound that will leave a scar that can never be undone, or hidden from view.  
"Is this a joke?" Merindil says with a shocked look of horror on his face.  
Her Father stares at her the anger written on his face. Zirasha smiles. "Am I not a perfect pretty Altmer?" Zirasha asks.  
Her Mother gasps and faints, crashing to the floor. Her Father's eyes narrow. "Leave, Zirasha," he says icily. "You have disgraced us for the last time. This time, do not return."  
"That is my intent." Zirasha snarls and walks through the guests to the door. Every single one of them shys away from her as if her imperfection is contagious. Her eyes hold nothing but contempt for them as she slams open the door and leaves, for the last time._

_Again Zirasha stows away on a boat, and it is to Auridon that she ends up in. She has nothing, and so she finds a house off the beaten path and breaks in, stealing clothes, gold, anything she can sell. Her hands finger a knife and suddenly she freezes. Someone has returned home. She cannot move, cannot breathe as an Altmer comes up to her and grabs her arm. "Damn thief, You dare? I will summon the authorities." he snaps at her.  
Zirasha's hand curls on the knife and she suddenly turns, the knife flashing and sinking into his chest. The Altmer's eyes lock on hers as he struggles to breathe and finally sinks to the floor dead. Zirasha looks down at him and a smile creeps across her face. He caught her, but he was the one that was hurt. That was dead. She bends down looking at him. Dead, dead, dead. She rips the knife out and rises, spinning in some demented dance. That was...that felt good. Zirasha laughs. She wants to do it again!_

Zirasha's eyes open as the memories fade. That Altmer had been the first one she killed, but not the last. Her life from that point had been breaking in, getting caught, and killing. She knew she could flee before she got caught, but every time fear filled her and something kept her frozen. And then when they tried to catch her, she killed them. Trying to erase the memories, the fear in her eyes in part. But a larger part...she liked it. Liked the feel of her blade sinking into their flesh, of blood pouring out. It had got her noticed in time. She had been in East March at the time when a cloaked figure had come to her one night. Offered her a life of murder...but she declined his offer, for he told her she would have to obey. And that was something Zirasha refused, and so she refused the Brotherhood's offer.  
Zirasha glances back over at Pond scum. "How long will it take?" she asks him. She knows what she is to do, but waiting for the right moment...  
Mentor looks up at her. "Try to have patience, if your able to do that. It should be soon."  
Soon. Zirasha scowls and leans against the wall. Waiting with nothing to do and memories intruding. She closes her eyes, her hand never leaving her knife as she falls into a shallow sleep.


	37. Act 3 - Hidden Truths

-Mournhold-

Iveryni reads over the papers once again as everyone pours out into the courtyard to enjoy some morning sun. Razum-dar stops by her. She sighs and looks up at Razum-dar. "Unless he is foolish enough to return to Daggerfall, I cannot tell where this necromancer may go. I cannot even figure out what he wants. There are little clues to go on." she says.  
Razum-dar's tail twitches. "Razum-dar agrees. We are at a dead-end regarding both searches.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab rolls on the grass and then sits up. "Iveryni, you said you'd show me!" she says. Iveryni rises and joins Softly-Speckled-Crab and the two are soon immersed in magic.  
Theodyn looks over at them but before he can get up and join them, Razum-dar pads over. "Razum-dar wants you to practice with him," he says.  
Theodyn looks up at him and stands. "I... am not that good," he says.  
Razum-dar withdraws his sword. "Rodyn seems to disagree with you. Now come at Razum-dar!"  
The two spare a bit and Razum-Dar gives Theodyn pointers. Theodyn is better than he thinks he is. Razum-dar soon pauses and holds out a paw. "This one thinks you have potential. You should follow it if you want." he looks over at Rufico. "Spar with him. You can borrow Razum-dar's sword. Just not a scratch."  
Rufico rises and walks over, gingerly taking the sword before facing off with Theodyn. Razum-dar watches, curious. Rufico seems to shy away from the sword, but he knows how to use it. Considering his background, it would be unusual for him not to be taught something of sword-craft before he ran away.  
The training lasts a while before Iveryni breaks off from Softly-Speckled-Crab to approach Razum-dar. "Can I speak with you?" she asks. The two move away from the others and Iveryni paces a few moments before settling down. "Razum-dar, assuming we can find Jeziasi, can we trust her?" she finally asks.  
Razum-dar folds his arms over his chest. "If this is about what was said in Vvardenfell..."  
"Not just Vvardenfell," Iveryni says. "You went to meet with someone and would not let us go. You never even told us who you were meeting. Just that they were very dangerous. And Anvil has a reputation these days. Why would the Vestige be involved with someone like that, in a place like that?  
Razum-dar's eyes narrow. "Razum-dar will not speak of Jeziasi's secrets. She is due that much respect. She has given much to save Nirn on more than one occasion."  
"I understand that," Iveryni says. "But if her secrets could harm our mission..." she stares right at Razum-dar. "Without the Vestige darkness is cast, With her, it may yet still be," she says, quoting the prophecy. "We need her, but what does the second part mean, Razum-dar? That she may fail? That her actions may cause harm instead of helping us prevent it?"  
Razum-dar takes a deep breath. "This is why this one does not like prophecies, princes, and, anything like them. Trust Razum-dar. If keeping her secrets threatens the Dominion, this one will no longer hold them back."  
Iveryni slowly nods. "I have to trust your judgment then."  
Razum-dar growls and Iveryni's eyes widen. "Never doubt my loyalty to my Queen and the Dominion. They will always come first. Even before a dear friend." he moves in close and speaks softly. "Everyone has their secrets. Even you." At Iveryni's shocked look he adds. "This is not a threat, just a reminder, Iveryni."  
"You know then," Iveryni says her face seems made of stone as she holds her emotions back.  
"We are chasing after a necromancer that threatens all of Nirn. Razum-dar would be negligent if he did not investigate his traveling companions. This one is the Queen's spymaster." he looks at Iveryni. "Razum-dar knows what you did, but not why you did it."  
Iveryni's eyes turn to Softly-Speckled-Crab, who's on her belly watching Theodyn and Rufico spar, occasionally reaching out a claw to lightly tap a foot that gets too close. "Look at her," she says softly. "She's intensely curious, has a rather strange desire to touch, and an obsession with bread. She has innate talents in understanding plants and how they can heal." Iveryni looks at Razum-dar, a flash of pain in her eyes. "All the Telvanni would see when they look at her is a tool to be used and discarded. She would never get to learn new things, to do what she wants to do." Iveryni swallows. "It took an outsider to set her free. I...never did anything to help them. I never could figure out how. So I disowned myself from my house and set out on my own. Because I could not abide the Telvanni's ways. They are full of lies and betrayal and deceit...and all they do to anyone that's not like them is use and hurt." Iveryni looks down. "What I did is unheard of, Razum-dar. I do not regret it, but I have no place in Vvardenfell, no place in Dunmer society anymore."  
Razum-dar puts a paw on her shoulder. "What you did was brave, Iveryni. And you have made your own way in the mage's guild. Without any help."  
"Telvanni blood runs through my veins," Iveryni says. "I can disown my house, but I cannot change that. My talent comes from it, in part. All of this is why I fully commit myself to the guild and little else. There is nothing else. Or there was not before all this." she sighs and looks at her companions. "Razum-dar, I do not mean to hide this. I hate the Telvanni's ways. But how do I tell her that?" she looks lost as she looks at Softly-Speckled-Crab.  
"When the time is right, you will find a way," Razum-dar says.

-Enduum, Glenumbra-

The central room of the ruins is vast, the ceiling stretches high above Viperish Night's head, and ancient rocks, moldering books, and strange structures litter the room. In the middle is an Ayleid well glowing with blue and white energy. Viperish Night reads the book, glancing up briefly to check the entrance. It's guarded by undead, as with many ruins Enduum is filled with them, skeletons and ghosts that patrol the ancient halls for time immoral. They serve Viperish Night for now. He was sure no one heard the window shatter or saw him depart with the mages. But he is more cautious now, now that he knows they are looking from him.  
Viperish Night places the crystal in the well and it glows bright blue surrounded by brilliant white. All he has to do now is touch it. His claw reaches for the crystal and then he pauses, a slight tremble coursing through him. What is on this crystal he does not know. But he also instinctively knows there is no returning once he sees. Once he knows. He trembles again. Answers so long denied to him. He has been taunted, given crumbs. His eyes narrow. The answers will be his. His claw stretches forward and touches the crystal and the world explodes into blinding white light, his eyes closing from the deluge.

The sounds and smells of the marsh. The feel of water running over his feet. Viperish Night opens his eyes blinking white spots away. He's back in the marsh and it's the dead of night. The clouds cover the stars and the moons must be in new moon for not even a trace of light shines down. Only the luminescence of the vines gives any light, any hint of where he is. Coppertail, yes. The Hist and the egg-nest come into view as his eyes adjust to the dim light.  
Viperish Night's eyes dart to a small golden glow that slowly grows in size and turns a vivid deep blue surrounded by cerulean tendrils. Two figures step out, one in a hooded mage robe holding something, and the other is Argonian clad only in a pair of armored pants. Viperish Night hisses. Stalks-in-Darkness. Which means the mage must be his former mentor. It was strange to see him without the glow. The two exchange words Viperish Night cannot hear and Stalks-in-Darkness opens a portal. His former mentor passes what he's holding over to Stalks-in-Darkness before entering the portal. Stalks-in-Darkness turns and Viperish Night's eyes widen. What Stalks-in-Darkness now holds is an egg. Viperish Night's eyes focus on the egg and he cannot draw his gaze away. It's HIS egg, he can feel it. But why does Stalks-in-Darkness have it? What is he doing with it? Viperish Night wants to burst forth. Wants to demand answers. But this is but a memory and he is frozen in place. Stalks-in-Darkness glances around and stalks toward the egg nest. He kneels in the Hist sap and lays the egg in an empty spot. He then rises and turns, the portal opening, and Stalks-in-Darkness steps through it without a second glance.  


The memory fragments and the white light returns, Viperish Night closes his eyes and when he opens them, he's back in the ruins, the crystal a shattered mess of pieces. Viperish Night stares at the shards. Viperish Night always assumed his former mentor and Stalks-in-Darkness had been drawn to his power and decided to try and use them for their own ends. Only once did Viperish Night think it could be something more when he asked a question he almost had not dared ask. He never got a clear answer. Confusion crosses his eyes and he grips the well. Stalks-in-Darkness had always been aware of Viperish Night, had always had his claws into him. He held Viperish Night when he was still in his egg, utterly unaware that life was to begin soon. Had his egg-parents given it to him? Stalks-in-Darkness said they were culpable. Or was...the stone cracks as Viperish Night's grip tightens. What was the truth, the whole truth? Viperish Night closes his eyes and hisses.  
The clatter of the dead snaps Viperish Night's eyes open and he stares at the entrance. The dead guarding it are streaming out, the sounds of their blades clashing with others echos. Viperish Night sweeps his hand through the crystal shards sending them flying to the ground as he stalks to the door. "Come out," he says.  
The sounds of battle cease as the last skeleton falls and soldiers stream in clad in the armor of High King Emeric. They are some of his elite warriors, the Lion Guard. Viperish Night remembers them from his days of wandering. One steps forward. "I am Commander Kien, and I demand your unconditional surrender," he says as his guard falls in.  
Viperish Night's claws wrap around his staff and his eyes take in their numbers. Twenty elite warriors. Only twenty. Slowly he starts to smile. The truth he uncovered deeply unsettled him, threw his world into chaos. But this would make him feel better. Silencing the living that stood before him and so he tilts his head. "What did I do?" he asks.  
The look in Commander Kien's eyes is a well of anger and righteousness. "Murder for a start. Crimes against nature for another." he spits. "Necromancer. Surrender, or we will cut you down and bring your body back."  
Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs. "But you only brought twenty men," he says as his eyes lock onto Commander Kien's and his eyes start to glow.  
Commander Kien gives his men the order to attack and they surge toward Viperish Night. But it's too late, for Viperish Night already had started summoning the undead as Commander Kien had been trying to get him to surrender. They surge in from the doorway and burst from the walls and the floors, stones shattering as the dead eagerly set upon the soldiers. The first to fall is skewered by a great sword held by a mighty skeleton and as his blood hits the floor it's like an electric jolt to Viperish Night. He flings his staff with his hand and more undead rise until they outnumber the Lionguard five to one. The sounds of battle echo in the ancient ruin as one by one they fall to the hordes of the undead. Soon though, the sounds of the living quiet, and only Commander Kien is alive just barely. Viperish Night walks forward, his claws sinking into the blood as the undead part. Viperish Night looks down upon Commander Kien who's struggling to breathe from grievous wounds that cracked his armor and sliced into his chest. Commander Kien looks up at him. "Such hatred in those eyes." Viperish Night says. "And such fear." he knees by Commander Kien, his eyes taking in the man's final moments of life. "I think I'm starting to like killing." Viperish Night says. "Once I would have thought that was very very bad thoughts. Now?" he smiles, showing razor-sharp fangs. "Now...I rather like being on this side of things." Commander Kien breaths once more, and then the light fades from his eyes, and Viperish Night rises. It is going to take a very long time to silence the madness at this rate. A frown crosses his face. He could take entire towns down, but then the armies would in mass and come for him. They sent twenty of their best just to deal with him this time. Next time? There had to be an answer. Viperish Night's hand moves to his amulet. It had recharged at last and Viperish Night found he required yet another book. He had to find what kind of portal that was. It was unlike any he had ever seen before. But he could not simply walk into a mage guild and expect to be left alone. It would require... a different tactic. Viperish Night opens a portal and walks through it.

-Mournhold-

Later that afternoon Rodyn Greenford returns to the Mournhold mage guild with a heavy heart. He enters the courtyard and stands at the entrance watching the group. Razum-dar notices and heads over quietly, not yet alerting the others to meet with him in huddled conference. When it concludes Razum-dar runs a paw over his mohawk and the two approach the others.  
Iveryni rises from the grass, she had been going over a healing techniques book with Softly-Speckled-Crab. Rufico returns Razum-dar's sword and Theodyn smiles at first, then his smile fades as he sees Rodyn's grim expression. "Something has happened, Razum-dar, has it not?" Iveryni says quietly.  
Razum-dar's eyes are grim. "Viperish Night was spotted by a civilian last night with two undead following him near Daggerfall." he pauses and turns to Rodyn, who continues.  
"Theodyn, I fear he attacked our guild," Rodyn says. "The reasons are not known but he may have taken books or items."  
Theodyn swallows, trying and failing to look brave. "He killed someone, didn't he?" he says softly.  
Rodyn places a hand on Theodyn's shoulder. "Brei and Sabri," Rodyn says gently.  
"But...Brei was always so helpful." Theodyn says. "And Sabri was so smart. This is not fair!" he cries and tears well up in his eyes. Theodyn tries to fight them off as well as old memories that well up. "I..." he turns and races away.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab's tail drops and she turns and follows Theodyn.  
"This one fears the news gets only grimmer," Razum-dar says. "We will have to tell those two later." Razum-dar sighs. "Viperish Night was tracked to the Enduum Ruins by the Lionguard. He killed all twenty of them when they attempted to apprehend them."  
Rufico backs away a few steps. "How are us five to fight someone who can do THAT?" he says. "I should have stayed in Anvil."  
Iveryni places a hand on Rufico's shoulder briefly. "There must be a way. There always is a way. We just don't know it yet."  
"Please collect the others and meet this one in the mage hall," Razum-dar says. "We are going to the Enduum Ruins to see if we can tell what Viperish Night was there for."  
Iveryni nods and turns to find Theodyn and Softly-Speckled-Crab and Rufico reluctantly follows her.  
Rodyn turns to Razum-dar. "Are you sure about taking them into the ruins?" Rodyn asks. "The bodies are being respectfully moved but from the reports, it's sheer carnage down there."  
Razum-dar looks in the direction they went. "Razum-dar is not... but they are tasked with this. It's only going to get worse."  
Rodyn tiredly nods. "Look after Theodyn for me. I never intended to place him in this much danger. His family has been through enough as is."  
"This one will do his utmost to protect them all," Razum-dar promises.

Theodyn angrily wipes the tears away as Softly-Speckled-Crab walks toward him and simply and quietly sits by him and leans against his side. Theodyn looks at her briefly before returning his gaze straight ahead. Slowly the tears stop.  
Iveryni and Rufico come along soon after stopping a distance from the two. Iveryni studies Softly-Speckled-Crab. "She is very emphatic," Iveryni says softly. "It must be why she likes to touch so much."  
"I kind of just want to run away from all this," Rufico says. "I'm just a thief after all." his eyes seem darker than normal, tormented by memories Iveryni can only guess at.  
"I am just a disgraced Dunmer," Iveryni says softly. "Theodyn is just a lost boy, Softly-Speckled-Crab just a freed slave." At Rufico's startled look she shakes her head. "We are not just, including you. We all have hidden potential if the world lets us find and express it." she pauses and sighs. "The world and people are not always so kind in that regard. We are given the chance though, we should not throw it away. The stakes are more than us."  
"You are wiser than I.," Rufico says. "I'm not sure I fit in all of you in this. I'm not even sure if I can deal with it."  
Iveryni is silent for a few moments then glances at Rufico. "I have never seen such horror as what I saw on Oblivion's Isle. But you, you have. Am I incorrect?"  
Rufico lowers his head so his hair covers his eyes. "You are too smart for your own good," he says roughly.  
"My eyes have seen horror and I recognize the same look in your eyes as I now see in mine," Iveryni says. "You do not have to speak of it, Rufico. But you can if you need to."  
"I can't," Rufico says. "Not now, not when we are going into what is in all certainty a bloodbath."  
"So you are coming still." Iveryni smiles a little.  
Rufico shrugs. "I...kind of like that you guys want me. It's strange, but maybe I like it. Maybe I don't feel so alone." he says.  
Iveryni and Rufico head towards Theodyn and Softly-Speckled-Crab to tell them the rest and tell them they are heading to the very depths of the ruin where it happened.

-Wayrest-

The portal lets Viperish Night out on the side of Wayrest's mages guild, near the river that winds through the city. Viperish Night stills as the portal closes, it's afternoon and the city is busy and full of the living, full of their madness. Wayrest is also very very familiar. That day he came here long ago. The mage that had tried to alter his path unknowing she was against forces she could never overcome. Viperish Night stands there for a few moments then grips his staff remembering long ago taught lessons. He never used this lesson, but he still remembered even after all this time. Viperish Night starts to weave his staff and swirling black and red-orange portals start appearing all around the mage's guild. Daedra streams out, mostly banekin and clannfear but a daedroth also appears swimming out of the river. This will cause the mages to leave the building and keep them busy with fighting the Daedra and closing the portals. Viperish Night's eyes gleam as the screams start as the Daedra flood the busy streets. It does not take long for the mage guild doors to burst open and the mages themselves to pour out en-mass. Viperish Night slips inside in all the confusion.

-The Cave-  
Mentor is watching the scrying pool and when he sees Viperish Night enter the mage guild he bolts up. "Now!" he snaps at Zirasha as he opens a portal for her.  
Zirasha rises and dashes for the portal. "Finally. See you pond scum!" she leaps through the portal and Mentor snaps it closed behind her.

-Wayrest-  
Viperish Night throws the book on the floor. All these books on portals and not a single one are useful. Viperish Night tilts his head, screams, and sounds of combat still echo from outside. The mages, city guard, and fighters guild are busy dealing with the mayhem he unleashed, and he had placed some of the portals in interesting places including one in the river. They will not all be easy to find much less close. Viperish Night heads downstairs only to be halted by a commotion. Still mages inside then. He grips his staff and stalks downstairs.  
"You can not steal those! They are forbidden!" a male voice rings out and it is followed by the sound of a blade sinking into flesh.  
Viperish Night leaps from the stairs landing before an Altmer woman holding a bloody knife, a male Breton mage on the floor in a pool of blood, struggling to rise. Viperish Night's eyes lock onto the Altmer's blue-green ones and then falls to the books she carries. Books on necromancy and other forbidden magic. His gaze rises back up to her eyes. There is such madness in those eyes of hers. Such bloodlust. Viperish Night's snout curls into a smile that shows his fangs as he moves closer to the woman. He motions for her to give him the books.  
"Hey!" the woman snaps. "If you want to buy them, pay me."  
Viperish Night looks at the door and then back at the Altmer and steps aside. "Leave then." he hisses at her. "Nearly every mage is out there with so very many Daedra.  
She pauses a look of frustration crossing her face. "Do you have a safe way out?" she asks.  
"For what you stole, yes." Viperish Night says.  
"Damn it...agreed," she says. "Names Zirasha. Get me out of here, now. I don't like being caught. People tend to die."  
Viperish Night moves to the mage on the floor and picks him up by the scruff of his cloak, looking at the mage in the eyes. This Zirasha inflicted a mortal wound but one that will take a while to kill him. "What do you want, you damn necromancer?" the mage says, blood dripping from his mouth.  
Viperish Night leans closer, the mage's eyes are filled with fear and anger. "I want to end the madness the living cause," he says softly. "But right now I will settle for you opening the portal for us." he leans in to whisper in the mage's ear. "I can make your remaining moments agony," he whispers. "And chances are your friends would return by then, and I would have more mages to kill. You'd be dead by then of course, but I can always raise you and have you slaughter your comrades."  
The mage's face goes utterly white and he closes his eyes shaking. "Take me to the back of the mage's hall," he whispers. "I'll open it for you."  
Viperish Night moves to the back and puts the mage down, he leans against the wall as he opens the portal before he falls to the ground struggling for his last breaths of life. Viperish Night's eyes glance at a table near the portal, a book lies open beside a sleeping grey tabby with black stripes. Viperish Night snaps the book up then turns to look at Zirasha. "Coming?" he says.  
Zirasha glances at the door. "Take my chances with a homicidal necromancer or the mages who might think I did this?"  
"You did some of it." Viperish Night remarks.  
"What did you mean?" Zirasha asks. "That thing about ending the madness the living cause?"  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow a fraction. "They cause pain, suffering. They betray and scream for others to bleed for them, die for them. I wish to end it all until all is the silence of death."  
The tabby gets up and arches his back, hissing at Viperish Night before leaping off the table and running for the stairs.  
Zirasha glances at the cat and laughs. "You frightened a damn cat, necromancer." she turns back to him. "Does that include the damn Imperials? Because if it does, I want to watch."  
"I have no mercy for anyone." Viperish Night hisses and walks through the portal.  
"That is a yes then!" Zirasha says a mad gleam in her eyes as she follows Viperish Night through the portal. The mage breaths his last, and the portal snaps shut.

-Enduum, Glenumbra-

"Well, this is a mess," Razum-dar says as he steps around pools of blood. The blood is splattered on the floor and walls.  
Theodyn is looking deathly pale and he walks behind Razum-dar, doing his best to look straight ahead. Rufico and Iveryni follow them, though Iveryni breaks off and heads toward the Ayleid well. Softly-Speckled-Crab wraps her claws about Theodyn's arm as she looks around her eyes wide. "Razum-dar, they forgot an arm." she points to the far corner.  
"Razum-dar did not need to know that," Razum-dar says as he stops with the others around the well. "Iveryni?"  
Iveryni has her hands on the well, and she glances down as her foot crunches on something. Bending down she picks up a shard and holds it to the light. Ayleid memory crystal." she says. "Or what is left of it.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves around her and drops to the ground, gathering the shards and piling them up in front of Iveryni. "You can put it back together?" Softly-Speckled-Crab asks.  
"I cannot do that," Iveryni says. "But I'll see if I can get anything from them. Here, let me see that one, that's the biggest piece."  
Rufico moves to Theodyn's side. "I really don't want to, so I know you really really don't want to," Rufico says. "But all this should be looked at."  
"Why?" Theodyn says, his eyes snapping shut. "I..."  
Rufico looks around. Memories threaten to scream through his head and it's only with great effort he pushes them away. "Evil did this. If you close your eyes you can dismiss it. Convince yourself they are not really evil, just misguided, following orders, anything but evil."  
Theodyn opens his eyes, forcing himself to look around at the blood-splattered throughout the room. "You speak from..." he trails off.  
"Experience?" Rufico says bitterly. "Trust me, you don't want to know. I almost wish I never had followed him that day. It was easier to be blind than to see."  
Theodyn turns to Rufico. "Rufico," he says.  
"Not now," Rufico says. "Or you may have to carry me out of here. I spend the past five years running from memories like this. Worse than this. I can not deal with those memories and this at the same time."  
Theodyn nods and briefly puts his hand on Rufico's arm. Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to the two of them and rests her head on Rufico's shoulder. "This Argonian is very bad," she says.  
"Understatement much?" Rufico mutters.  
"I think I can bring part of what was on the crystal to life," Iveryni says and everyone turns toward her. "It will not last long and it will be just a shard of the memory stored in this crystal, but perhaps it will help." she places the shard in the well and weaves her staff through the air. A shimmer of white and blue pulses and when it fades an Argonian appears to be standing before them, though it's just a shard of memory.  
Razum-dar moves closer. "This is not Viperish Night," he says studying the Argonian's dark scales, blue-grey eyes, and horns.  
"He has an egg!" Softly-Speckled-Crab examines as she moves closer to the image. "Why does he have an Argonian egg?"  
The image suddenly vanishes and Iveryni shakes her head. "There is nothing more I can do."  
"Razum-dar thinks this raises more questions, not less." Razum-dar grumbles. "We will return to Mournhold and put this Argonian to paper and try and find him as well."  
The group solemnly leaves the ruins, heading back to the mage guild so they can return to Mournhold


	38. Act 3 - Twisted Memories

-Rawl'kha, Reapers March, Mage Guild-

The stillness of the air and the quiet, it was almost like a tomb. Viperish Night looks around. A mage guild but a strange one. Solid stone and a almost ancient air.  
Zirasha glances around. "Rawl'kha in Reaper's March." she breaths.  
Viperish Night freezes. So it's not utterly silent. She is here. Living breathing and in his space. Viperish Night slowly hisses and turns to her, snatching the books she holds and adding it to the one he had grabbed before entering the portal. Zirasha hisses at him back and the knife is suddenly in her hands and they stare at each other. Does she think she can take him?  
"Gladiator," he says coldly. "As well as a necromancer. Try." his eyes narrow at her, this Altmer that dared follow him. Will she rush to her death? Give him a reason to silence her?  
Zirasha sees her death in Viperish Night's eyes and she hisses once more before putting the knife away. "I can steal more for you, you know," she says. "I want gold... but I'll give you a discount for the death of every damn Imperial in Nirn."  
"You do not like Imperials, do you?" Viperish Night asks studying her. The hatred in her eyes and curious enough fear as well. "You hate them and fear them," he states.  
With an animistic snarl, Zirasha springs at him the knife back in her hands. Viperish Night moves like liquid, dodging and grabbing her wrist disarming her in one second and the next second she's on the ground. Her eyes... now that hatred and fear are redirected at him. Viperish Night turns and walks away. He needs to leave this mage guild before more mages come...though in a way he almost wishes they would...  
Zirasha scrambles up, scooping up her knife and following him. "You want to be caught too," she insists as she catches up to him. "Just so you can have an excuse to kill them."  
"Excuse?" Viperish Night says. "I am going to end them all, so what use is an excuse for?" he finds a side door and opens it, glancing out at the evening light before slinking out.  
Zirasha darts around him and out the door. "Coming?" she asks him.  
Viperish Night shuts the door. "Why would I come with you?" he says. "I have utterly no use for the living."  
"Because," Zirasha says turning around, "I can find you a quiet little house that has not been occupied in some time. I am a thief, I know how to tell how long it's been since someones been in any given location." she turns back adds. "And I already told you, I want to watch."  
Viperish Night stalks closer to her until he's practically breathing over her shoulder. "It is not just Imperials that I will end and set free from their madness," he whispers.  
Zirasha shrugs. "Kill the Altmer too if you want. I hate them as well. And as for all the others? I really do not care." she says.  
Viperish Night is silent for a few long moments. She is Altmer...yet she hates them. "Why?" he asks, curious.  
Zirasha frowns as Viperish Night's tone changes. It had been cold, only when he threatened the mage did she catch even a hint of emotion. But now he sounded curious. She turns and gazes at him. "Perfection, the Altmer demanded it. I hated it...so I went to efforts to make myself less than perfect. They predictably rejected me." Zirasha's finger traces the scar down her face.  
Viperish Night looks close at it and tilts his head. "You mutilated yourself," he says.  
And now he was puzzled. "Why not?" Zirasha says. "I got what I wanted out of it." Zirasha changes the subject. "You said, everyone. Even..." she gestures at his tail. Viperish Night's eyes fill with utter hate. "Ah," Zirasha says. "We have that in common then. Now follow me." she turns and walks along the outskirts of Rawl'kha. This was a job... but she found Viperish Night curious. He seemed so emotionless, but was he? Perhaps not... for he was following her. 

-Rawl'kha, Reapers March-

Night had fallen and Zirasha had pulled the curtains closed, so the light from the candles would not be seen by anyone too curious for their own good. She had settled down in a corner on a Khajiit cushion after brushing the dust off. Viperish Night had glared at her for long moments before summoning a Senche-Tiger skeleton, which now rested in front of the table Viperish Night had thrown the books down upon, along with a small clay pot.  
Viperish Night glances at Zirasha, who seems to be asleep. He should kill her. The Senche would do it in a moment. But...Viperish Night tilts his head. She was curious and the hatred in her eyes mirrored his. Still, he would not trust her, he would never trust anyone again. Hence, the Senche-Tiger who would end her curious existence if she tried to kill him. His eyes fall back to the table, where to start first? The book on the Dark Brotherhood was open to the chapter that detailed how to enact the Black Sacrament to summon them. The clay pot sat nearby, taunting him with the promise of memories, and then there were the books he had taken from Zirasha, written about necromancy and forbidden magic and one about mythic relics and artifacts. Viperish Night slowly frowns. That one was out of place among the rest, and so he sets it aside. And lastly, was the book he had taken at the last minute. It is this he pulls toward him. There is a painted illustration of a portal, the very same one he saw from the memory crystal. Viperish Night flips it over, it's a journal by someone called Loremaster Celarus. Viperish Night's eyes scan the words. Psijic Order, located in someplace called Artaeum. Viperish Night stares at the book. How had something like this been just laying around the Wayrest Mage Guild? He opens to the portal illustration and his confusion only grows. The book claims the strange deep blue and cerulean portals had been time breaches, caused by this staff and closed by the order. Why had...Stalks-In-Darkness and mentor come through one? Viperish Night hisses and puts the journal down. It makes utterly no sense. Viperish Night leans back against the wall and closes his eyes. Sleep has been tugging at him for...he's not sure how long he has last slept. The Marsh in all likelihood, and so he sleeps.

It's only a few hours later that Viperish Night wakes again. He has only slept a few hours at a time since leaving Oblivion's Isle. And so he pulls the relic book toward him and starts reading, and only pauses when the Senche skeleton utters a warning growl. Viperish Night looks up to see Zirasha stalking toward him. She sits at the table and just stares at him with a look of intense concentration in her eyes. Viperish Night turns his eyes back to his book.  
"So you will ignore me?" Zirasha asks.  
"That, or have my Senche eat you." Viperish Night says as he flips through the book.  
Zirasha slams her hands on the table and the Senche is up in a moment, knocking her to the floor. "Put your pet outside!" Zirasha says. "I want to ask you something, face to damn face."  
Viperish Night rises and steps around the table, his eyes looking down at Zirasha. The Senche backs off, though not outside. Just to the front door, where it lies down keeping its glowing blue eyes locked onto Zirasha  
Zirasha rises and stares at Viperish Night. "What is wrong with you?" she spits.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Wrong? Is wanting to kill everyone wrong?" he asks.  
"That is not what I mean," Zirasha says.  
"Then what is it you mean?" Viperish Night asks his eyes narrowing. "And hurry up. I am reading."  
Zirasha jolts forward and places a hand on Viperish Night's chest, he grabs her wrist in his hand, his claws sinking into her flesh as he hisses. "I should kill you after all."  
"Your alive," Zirasha says. "So why are you acting like the dead? So cold and utterly without emotion." she stares into his eyes. "I know it's an act. I can see the cracks. When you grabbed that mage, the fact you're curious about me, the hate in your eyes."  
Viperish Night stares into Zirasha's eyes and it is his own eyes that are reflected at him. He releases her wrist and steps backward before moving to the window to glance out at the night. "It is who I am now," he says.  
"Sure it is," Zirasha says. "I spent my life wearing a mask. Only when I ripped the knife down my face did I rip the mask off, for good. I know when someone is hiding everything. Or am I wrong?" she stalks closer to him, not sure why she's trying to provoke a reaction from Viperish Night. It's not in her orders. Her orders were to bring him a certain book, the very one he had been reading before she started poking him. Perhaps because he acted like he was already dead. It unnerved her. Pissed her off. If he was going to kill everyone, he should at least enjoy it. "What's wrong? Did the other Argonian's call you names? Is that why you want to kill even them?"  
Viperish Night whirls and turns on her faster than she can react. His claws wrap around her neck as he slams her against the wall, his eyes filled with hate. "They rejected me for being HATCHED." he snarls. "I am nothing but an abomination, the Hist itself declared me as less then Saxhleel. My egg-parents either abandoned me or gave me to a monster unless that monster IS my father. WHY SHOULD I SUFFER THEM TO LIVE?"  
Zirasha's hands come up and grip Viperish Night's claws. "I guess...we differ there. You did not want to be rejected, did you? I did." Viperish Night's claws relax a fraction and it's suddenly easier to breathe. "What did the rest of the damn world do to deserve the same fate then?" she asks. "Not that I mind, mind you."  
"There is a reason I do not trust anyone." Viperish Night softly, dangerously says. "Everyone I trusted betrayed me or died. This world and the living in it have done nothing but make me suffer. Make others suffer. They cheer for it, in fact."  
"And you want to kill them all," Zirasha says with a laugh. "And you must enjoy it. Must enjoy watching them fall when you stand over them with the knife."  
"I do not..." Viperish Night trails off, thinking back. The Lion Guard, the things he said to their Commander. He drops Zirasha and stumbles back.  
"It's not a bad thing," Zirasha says, holding her hand to her neck as small trails of blood run down it. "It's a good thing. Making them die and suffer is one thing. It's utterly wasted if you don't enjoy it."  
Viperish Night sinks to the floor, his eyes closing as a tremor runs through him. The night that his collar broke and he raised the undead. He acted as if he was one of them. Just stood there as an icy statue as the dead acted on his desires and murdered every living thing on the island, including his friends.  
Zirasha kneels by him. "So let me guess. You killed someone close to you. And you either enjoyed it, or utterly despaired over it, both which don't fit into what you were or what you are, so you pretended you felt nothing and went forward in your unholy mission pretending you have zero emotions." she says.  
Viperish Night's eyes slowly open and he raises his head to look at Zirasha. "In one night, I murdered an entire island." he hisses. "Every single slaver, every single traveler that came there to watch slaves kill for them, die for them. Every single slave in bondage. Even the animals and plants. They all died." Viperish Night rises and Zirasha rises with him. "And I murdered my friends as well." Viperish Night utters. "Each and every last one of them." He stalks forward and Zirasha backs up until she hits the wall. "It was very very bad," he says softly. "It was monstrous. An act of sheer brutality and evil. I became something I had fought my whole life NOT to be. I let go on PURPOSE. I let the icy river take me, I let the dark magic have my soul." he leans in, his fangs gleaming in the candlelight. "And for the first time in my miserable existence, I felt utterly free and powerful enough to stop anyone from causing me harm ever again. So, yes Zirasha. I ENJOYED IT. I enjoyed watching them die. Even my friends. Because they could not stop me anymore from being free." Viperish Night turns and walks to the table. "And that was not something I could admit to myself," he says as he sits down. "Because I did love my friends, as I have loved my Rishima. But love brought me nothing but pain, for even those who love you will betray you, one way or the other."  
"That was not so hard, was it?" Zirasha says as she flops on the floor and leans against the wall. "Be THIS Viperish Night. I like this one. Full of murder and hate. This world deserves all that and more." Zirasha looks up at Viperish Night. "Love... the Altmer don't love. They don't know how. All they know is how to be perfect. Let me come with you. Let me watch you silence them, murder them, end them. Whatever words you want to use for your planned genocide."  
Viperish Night glances at Zirasha and slowly starts to smile. "I will not show you mercy, either," he remarks. "Your one of the living too."  
Zirasha shrugs. "Kill me last then," she says and then her face turns puzzled. "I never once asked your name. I must be insane, I went off with a homicidal necromancer bent on worldwide genocide without even a name." she throws her head back and laughs.  
"Viperish Night." Viperish Night says and turns his eyes back to the book. "Why did you steal this one?"  
Zirasha shrugs. "It was with the rest of the books, and I was interrupted by a huge commotion. Your doing, of course. Do more of that." she looks slyly at him. "That's a yes then?"  
Viperish Night tilts his head at her. "Follow me into the depths then. But if you betray me, I will kill you."  
"As long as you enjoy it," Zirasha says. "Not that I plan on betrayal. I like your plans!" She lies down on the ground and glances over at the table. "What's up with the jar? Your eyes keep traveling back to it and then darting away again. You can't be scared of it it." Zirasha closes her eyes.  
Viperish Night tilts his head and he strolls to the table and grips the jar in his claws. Why would he be scared of it? What could the Hist show him that would be worse than the rejection he already suffered from it? Viperish Night heads to the bedroom the Senche rising to follow and guard him. Viperish Night glances at the window and up to the heavens above. How much he had changed, it had thrown him. "No cost?" he snarls softly. His former mentor had claimed the cost for using necromancy would be so much less for him. Another thing he lied about, another thing to kill him over. Although... it was not so bad being this Viperish Night. And with that thought, he upends the jar of Hist sap in his mouth and falls onto the bed. The darkness seems to glow, motes of light drifting over his vision as his eyes shutter closed and he slips into memories, not of his own.

_The bubbling of Hist sap, a glowing pool of orange gel in which eggs rested. The Hist tree roots cradled the egg-nest and stretched far beyond it, embedded in the cave walls and sinking deep into the earth. Orange and yellow luminescent moss covers the cave walls, casting soft warm light over the area. The egg-tender lies by the eggs so very still. Viperish Night's former mentor kneels by the eggs, his hood shadowing his face in the low golden light. He looks up as a portal opens and Stalks-in-Darkness walks out carrying an egg. He moves to Mentor and kneels by the egg-nest, laying the egg in an empty spot. "You claimed to have an answer this time." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses angrily. "This cannot continue forever."  
Mentor's eyes slide to Stalks-in-Darkness. "I told you, the Hist is very nearly beyond understanding. It knows the eggs you bring and place in this nest are wrong, and therefore it will not allow an Argonian soul to enter the egg so it can be born. It simply destroys them as if they are parasites. I have been trying."  
Stalks-in-Darkness growls softly. "And every time you fail, no matter what you try. Last time you claimed that if you inserted a soul from a soul gem it would work, and what happened? The soul gem shattered." Stalks-in-Darkness's eyes narrow. "Over a dozen eggs, every single time IT FAILS." he rises and towers over Mentor. "Fail me again, and I will make you suffer in ways you could only dream of!"  
Mentor flinches and lowers his head. "I will not fail again. I cannot. I have it, finally." Mentor moves to the egg and places his left hand on it. "The Hist will not give this egg its Argonian soul. And it will not allow a non Argonian soul to be placed in it. The solution is so simple, I curse myself for not thinking of it before."  
"Do it then," Stalks-in-Darkness says. "There is only so much time I can keep the Argonian's at bay. I destroyed Suncave tribe, but the Hist has called more. My minions are keeping them at bay in the marsh, but it's only a matter of time."  
Mentor places his right hand on one of Suncave Tribes eggs. "It's not a simple or easy matter, but I should be able to do it. Transfer the Argonian soul from this egg into the egg you brought." Mentor's right hand starts to glow blue and it spreads up his arm and across to his left arm, down into the egg. There is a brilliant flash of blinding blue light and when it fades Mentor is lying on the ground. He slowly sits up.  
"Did it work?" Stalks-in-Darkness demands,  
Mentor reaches out and places his hands on the egg for a long moment. He then picks the egg up and rises. "Yes," he says tiredly.  
Stalks-in-Darkness places his claw on the egg and grins, his fangs glimmering in the orange light. "It's time to place this egg in a different Egg-nest, so they can hatch and grow."  
Mentor glances at the Hist tree. "Won't the Hist just destroy it? It is... you know what it is."  
Stalks-in-Darkness's eyes travel to the Hist, such an unusual one to be underground, but it had been perfect for their experimentation. "The egg has an Argonian soul," he remarks. "The Hist will never absorb or destroy an egg that has an Argonian soul bestowed to it." his eyes dart back to Mentor. "It's still hidden yes?"  
Mentor nods. "Of course. I know how to hide things from the Psijic Order. Though hiding a time breach all this time from them, when they were making great efforts to close them was not easy. It helped it was deep within the marsh." he looks at the egg and back at Stalks-in-Darkness. "Did you figure out how we are going to deal with waiting? Eggs do not hatch and grow overnight. And there is the fact we cannot run into our past selves. It would cause a Dragon-break."  
Stalks-in-Darkness hisses. "You never liked this plan," he remarks.  
"We could hide the egg in our time. I have told you, time and time again, it's the safer option, the saner option." Mentor snaps. "Even I would not defy time, and I have defied everything else that has gotten in my way. The only reason you are doing it is that you want..." Mentor trails off as Stalks-in-Darkness's eyes fill with anger and he finally figures out he has gone too far.  
"SILENCE." Stalks-in-Darkness hisses, his claws slashing through the air as a portal opens. "We will sleep until its time for you to mentor the Argonian that hatches," he says.  
Mentor lowers his head. "As you wish. Let us hope Akatosh does not strike us from existence for this." he walks through the portal with the egg and Stalks-in-Darkness follows. _

The sun streams in from the window and Viperish Night's eyes open. He remains utterly still, utterly frozen as his mind tries to sort out the memories the Hist showed him. Slowly he sits up a bewildered expression on his face. He had egg-siblings, but they had never been given souls, they had not truly existed, unlike him. Viperish Night holds up his hand, the morning rays glimmering off of his claws. He was created to BE a monster, an abomination. The Hist refused to let one of its children be, so it destroyed every one of the eggs until his former mentor had found away around it, a way to ensure the Hist had to let his egg hatch. He was to BE a different Argonian, a real one. And it had been taken from him. Viperish Night rises and with a shattered howl he throws the bed against the wall, and everything else in the room soon follows until it's all just a shattered mess. Viperish Night closes his eyes and slowly his heart stops racing and his anger cools. Blind rage will get him nowhere...but neither will an icy mask. His eyes open, a swirl of ice and darkness. This changes nothing. The Hist still abandoned him, still took his chance away to just be a simple Argonian. Just because of how he was created. Viperish Night tilts his head. Created... he would think that meant he had no actual egg-parents, but Stalks-In-Darkness had said they were culpable. His former mentor had said he knew where Viperish Night's egg parents were. Yes, they could very well be lying. But he did not think they were. Eggs had to come from somewhere. One could not wave a staff and have them appear out of nowhere. Viperish Night stalks out of the bedroom to find Zirasha awake. Her eyes move away from the bedroom as he stalks out.  
"I take it the bedroom deserved to die?" Zirasha says.  
"Something like that." Viperish Night mutters as he picks up Loremaster Celarus's journal again. "Why would someone take something in the past?"  
"Is that even possible?" Zirasha says. "Wait, don't answer that. Of course, it is." she shrugs, "To hide it? No one would think of to look there."  
Viperish Night starts placing the books in a bag and turns to walk out, then pauses to look at Zirasha. "It seems I was always meant to be a monster," he remarks, a glimmer of hate in his eyes. "The Hist could have accepted me and in doing so, saved everything. Or destroyed my egg before it even hatched. It is utterly mad." a feral grin crosses his face. "This world will drown in its utter madness. Let's go play, Altmer."  
"It IS Zirasha." Zirasha snarls as she leaps up to follow him. "I don't think using my name will make you want to kill me any less." She grins at him. "Who's first?"  
"I'm not sure." Viperish Night says. "Let's go looking for someone who deserves to die. And then let's summon the Brotherhood to murder them."  
"That is not what I expected you to say," Zirasha says. "Why are we letting them have all the fun?"  
"Just this little bit of fun." Viperish Night says. "I need to find a specific assassin, and this is the only way to do so." he stalks out the door with Zirasha in tow.

A small handful of Rawl'kha Khajiit guards are waiting outside the house for them. One steps forward. "This one heard crashing coming from his friend Ji’zakar's house," he remarks. "K'hani knows that Ji’zakar is gone, so we seem to have two thieves. Surrender peacefully and we will get this all worked out."

Viperish Night drops his bag to the ground and reaches up, unbuckling his robe. It falls to the ground as his eyes fall upon each of the guards in turn. It's fun to watch their eyes widen in alarm as they realize just who they have come to try and apprehend. "Let's play, Zirasha" Viperish Night hisses and streaks for the nearest guard crashing into him sending both to the ground. Zirasha withdraws her knife and with a crazy howl, she runs at the nearest Khajiit and leaps upon him.  
Viperish Night's claws are streaked red from the first guard's blood as the second and third rush him, he leaps back and withdraws twin blades, something he picked up along the way. He twists to the side and the sword slides over one Khajiit's throat, even as the third's sword brushes over his side. Spinning around, Viperish Night slams his sword into the Khajiit's gut, dropping him to the ground in a spray of blood. Zirasha's blade is embedded in the guard throat that she had jumped on, and K'hani is roaring, his blade poised to take his head. The Senche roars out of the house in a clatter of bones and leaps upon K'hani, savaging him.  
Zirasha's head falls back and she laughs before leaping up. "That was better than breakfast!" she crows.  
Viperish Night smiles before turning his back to gather up his robe. "Your right. I should enjoy myself more." Viperish Night hisses.  
Zirasha stares at Viperish Night as he shrugs back into his mage's robe. "You have scars too," she says and as his eyes turn narrowing at him she shrugs. "Don't take off your clothes if you don't want a lady to see." Zirasha pauses. "I think I get what you did not say." she finally says. "Gladiator...not by choice then. I hope whoever did that to you is dead."  
"Very very dead," Viperish Night says. "It was the least of what that monster did." Memories of that fight, at the time he thought it wrong he took his revenge that way against Valsvis though he did not regret it. Now, he was of a different mind of it. It was what opened the doorway to freedom, even if it had just been a crack. Viperish Night touches the amulet and then holds it out to Zirasha. "I have only been to the Marsh and to Daggerfall. Take us someplace different."  
Zirasha takes the amulet and a portal opens. "We need a city to pick out someone we want to be assassinated," she says. "Let's go bother the dark elves in Mournhold. I was there once, this will put us on the outskirts." She darts through the portal and Viperish Night follows.


	39. Act 3 -Stalking the Shadows

-Outskirts of Mournhold-

Zirasha leans against the small building throwing her knife in between her hands. "The Dunmer who insulted you when we came in is named Gidevul Ralhrimo of house Indoril," she says to Viperish Night. "Good thing he was a typical Dunmer who only saw you as a lizard and could not be bothered to look closer to see you are a wanted criminal." Zirasha finishes playing with her knife and sheaths it. "You're on your own with this."  
Viperish Night studies Zirasha tilting his head in curiosity. "I would think you would like these assassins." he hisses.  
"Uh..." Zirasha shrugs. "I refused a job offer from them. Do they hold grudges? Rather not find out. Besides, I want to steal things and drop some bodies why I am here. The Dunmer are almost as high and mighty as the Altmer." she shrugs and turns to go. "Have fun with all the body parts and murderous assassins," she calls back, and soon she is out of view.   
Viperish Night turns to the abandoned building and pauses. He is finally finding his answers, but not only do those answers shake him to his core, but they spawn even more questions. He hisses and stalks into the building closing the door behind him.

He had come out of the darkness itself and Viperish Night rises to face him, the mysterious figure is cloaked in a black hooded robe and face cast in shadow. The silence seems to last forever, and Viperish Night tilts his head in puzzlement at the speaker's silence. "I must have done this correctly, for you came to me." he hisses.  
The hooded figure raises his head, his eyes staring into Viperish Night's. "You are not unknown to the Void. You commit murder without hesitation, so why do you summon us, when you so easily murder on your own?"  
Viperish Night stalks closer to the speaker and raises a pouch of gold. "Because I want a specific assassin to kill someone," he says. "And I wish to watch, and I wish to speak to the assassin when the job is done. You do requests, don't you?" The speaker holds out his hand and Viperish Night drops the pouch of gold into it. "I want Gidevul Ralhrimo killed. He travels outside Mournhold each afternoon to an abandoned farm." Viperish Night says. "And...It is the shadowscale Stalks-In-Darkness I want to murder him."  
The speaker suddenly whirls and vanishes into the dark once more. Viperish Night stares after him. That...was not the reaction he expected. The name he uttered...it seemed to unsettle the speaker. What could unsettle an assassin? He would have to travel to the farmhouse tomorrow and see if anything happened. He had paid for a murder after all.

-Mournhold Mages Guild-  
Theodyn stares up at the ceiling in the small quarters he shared with Rufico. Rufico had fallen asleep but sleep eluded Theodyn. The events of the past few days weighed heavy on his mind. His guild attacked and two mages he had studied with, dead. Just like that. And the carnage at the ruins, even with the bodies removed the blood splatters painted a dark picture. It was evil that they somehow had to stand up against. But how could they be expected to do that? All four of them had their talents, yes. But nothing like the necromancer had. Theodyn finally falls into a troubled sleep.  
A scream shatters the night's silence sometime later. Theodyn bolts right up in his bed in time to see Rufico leap from his bed and run out of the room. Theodyn dashes after Rufico, pausing when he notices everyone else has been jolted awake. "I'll check on him," Theodyn says as he heads downstairs.  
Theodyn enters the kitchen to see Rufico sitting at the small table with his head in his hands, his body wracked with tremors. Theodyn quietly makes berry tea and sets a cup before Rufico. "My mom always made this for me when I woke up in the middle of the night after my sister died," he says quietly.  
"Damn it, I woke everyone up," Rufico says, cupping the hot mug in his hands.  
"I think we might have many nights like this," Theodyn says. "We just started and already..." he trails off. There is no need to speak of the horror they have already seen.  
Rufico is silent for a few long moments before he sips the tea. "For me, the horror started years ago." Rufico hoarsely says. "All because I followed him. Following him shattered my world view. Shattered everything I thought I knew." he glances up at Theodyn and shakes his head as Theodyn starts to speak. "No, don't speak, please. Or I'll never get this out. And I think I need to before I can deal with this necromancer we hunt." Rufico's eyes fall back into his cup of tea, darkness covering them. "When the cultists took over the Imperial city my family was moved to a different section of the city for our safety. My father was in the Imperial Legion, and he remained so even after the occupation started. He said it was to keep us safe, I and my Mother that is. But he changed after it started. I was confused and afraid, and so one day, I in all my thirteen-year-old idiotically, followed him." Rufico falls silent, drinking some tea as he struggles to continue.   
"Sometimes I wish I never followed him that day. But then I would have never known the truth. I'm still not sure which one would have been worse." Rufico looks up, his haunted eyes locking onto Theodyn's. "I followed the Zero Legion. I saw my father remove innocent civilians from their homes in chains and give them to the Daedra. I saw him and a group of other legion soldiers beat a man and laugh about it." Rufico closes his eyes and lowers his head, trying to control the shaking that is running through him. "I ran home and told my mother. And she slapped me, told me he was doing it to protect us. It was just a damn lie she told herself so she could remain blind. I ran to my room, and that night I packed a bag and ran away. Stupid, I know but...my world had broke, Theodyn. My father had been my hero, this great Imperial soldier. And it was all a lie." Rufico takes a deep breath and opens his eyes, filled with unshed tears. "The city was in utter chaos, I managed to escape notice...until I didn't. And then the only way to avoid capture was to dive into the Imperial sewers. " Rufico grips the mug tighter. "That is where my nightmares come from. The veil between Nirn and Coldharber was weakest in those sewers, though I only found this out later. At the time all I knew is down in those sewers monsters and nightmares lurked. Things no one should ever see, much less a thirteen-year-old kid." Rufico gulps down the rest of the tea. "That is why I have such lousy luck as a thief. I used up all my luck escaping that place. There is no way I should have been able to." Rufico falls silent.  
Theodyn's face is pale as he tries to imagine what it would have been like. To be lost and alone with nightmares around every corner and so little hope of finding a way out. "Softly-Speckled-Crab was right." he finally says, putting one hand over Rufico's. "You do belong with us. This is why you escaped. And you should not have to be alone anymore."  
"Theodyn," Rufico says as he claps Theodyn's hand before rising. "Thanks." he looks at a loss for words and finally just shrugs. "Let's try to get some sleep."

-Mournhold-  
Rufico and Theodyn walked the streets of Mournhold the next day. They had learned of the attack on Wayrest the previous day, how Viperish Night had summoned Daedra into the streets of Wayrest, possibly stolen things inside the mage guild, and murdered yet another mage. This and the utter lack of leads on Viperish Night, the mysterious dark scale, and the Vestige's whereabouts had gotten to everyone. So Razum-dar had called for a day off to allow the group to do whatever they wanted. Iveryni chose to bury herself in books at the Mage Guild, Softly-Speckled-Crab managed to get the kitchen staff to teach her how to make bread and that left Rufico and Theodyn. They decided to go for a walk.   
Rufico glances at Theodyn. "Not one word about last night," he says. "I don't want to talk about it more than that." Theodyn nods and the two wander Mournhold. "Mmm gold." Rufico suddenly says as he approaches a jewelry stand filled with glittering gold and a variety of luminous gemstones. Theodyn gives him a look at Rufico just shrugs. "Habits die hard. I'm just looking today." he goes back to glancing at the jewelry under the careful eye of the jewelry seller.   
Theodyn sighs and looks around. There had not been much time to take in the sights of Deshaan and it still amazes him to be so far from home. There are so many Dunmer, and many other races, and look even an Altmer! She talks with a mage in robes before wandering off deeper into the city. The mage starts walking outside the city. Theodyn slowly frowns. The mage has a tail. He tugs on Rufico's sleeve and Rufico looks up. "Argonian mage," he whispers.  
Rufico looks at where he's putting. "There is no way that's Viperish Night," he says. "He would not be in the middle of Mournhold wandering around like that."  
Theodyn's eyes grow darker as he remembers the attack on his guild. "Just as he would never be in Daggerfall or Wayrest?" Theodyn says angrily.   
Rufico startles at Theodyn's tone. "Finally got angry instead of sad," Rufico says. "Fine, let's follow him. I doubt he IS our Argonian. Your gonna owe me if he's not." As Theodyn moves past him Rufico places a hand on his shoulder. "No. You will follow me, do what I do. I know how to trail him without him noticing. Rufico moves to the side of a building and Theodyn follows quietly behind.

Rufico leads Theodyn to a towering field of grass and he gets down on his stomach, his face just outside the grass. Theodyn follows his example. "Where is he?" Theodyn whispers.  
"Our Argonian is up by the small grove of trees," Rufico says. "He's just sitting there watching the farm. You know he could just be a mage out for a walk."  
"He's not one of the Mournhold's mages." Theodyn insists. "I know all of them by now."  
"Well, no one's dying, and the dead are not rising," Rufico says. "And I can't get a good enough look at his face with that hood up or from this distance. So we wait. And then we go back after and Razum-dar kills us for this idiocy."  
Theodyn lowers his eyes. "This is stupid. I just..."  
"So angry it blinded you," Rufico says. "Anger makes us do stupid things. I ran away during a Daedric invasion." Rufico then falls silent. "Someone else is coming."

Viperish Night sits cross-legged under the trees. It is the very best place to hide, but suddenly he wishes to hide somewhere else. The trees remind him too much of his travels through Daggerfall. How he thought they set him at ease. Now they made his scales crawl. His claws dig into the dirt and it's only the sound of footsteps that distracts him, his head snapping up. Gidevul Ralhrimo is walking down the path to the farmhouse. 

"It's a Dunmer," Theodyn says puzzled. "He's not here to kill a lone Dunmer is he?"  
"Not our Argonian then," Rufico says. "If either of them sees us, we are going to look very very stupid."   
Theodyn sighs. "Sorry, I guess we should go then? If we head out and back around neither should see us." Theodyn starts to rise but Rufico abruptly pulls him down.  
"Something feels wrong." Rufico hisses. "It's too quiet." Rufico falls silent and Theodyn settles back in as quietly as possible.

The birds have stopped singing. Viperish Night's eyes narrow as a black-robed figure comes out from the shadow of the farmhouse. One moment their hand is empty, the next filled with a blade darker than the darkest night. One quick stab and Gidevul Ralhrimo falls. Viperish Night rises and moves to the assassin, who as per Viperish Night's request is waiting for him. But when he gets closer he's halted by the whisper of cloth, a blade at his neck. Viperish Night slowly hisses. His eyes look at the assassin behind him then to the one who took down Gidevul Ralhrimo. "You are not who I wanted," he says. Neither of these are Argonians. Neither are Stalks-In-Darkness. The ground starts to shake and the undead rise, and Argonian and Khajiit skeletons surround them. The knife presses down on his throat. "Do not even think of it, necromancer." a female voice hisses.  
Clouds roll over the sun casting the land in shadow as a portal of darkness opens and the speaker walks out to stand before Viperish Night. "I am Speaker Malkeyranis," he says. "How do you know the name Stalks-In-Darkness?"  
"From my nightmares." Viperish Night says. "I need to find him."  
"Why?" Speaker Malkeyranis demands.  
"So I can kill him after I have my answers." Viperish Night hisses.   
Speaker Malkeyranis raises his hand and the assassin behind him lowers her knife from his neck. "Silence," he says softly. "But in this case, our Night Mother has given leave to give you more than that, depending on your answer to the question I just asked you. You seem to want those. So place your skeletons away before we are all noticed."  
The skeletons sink back into the ground and Viperish Night stalks closer to Speaker Malkeyranis. "This is not the result I expected." he hisses.   
"Silence." Speaker Malkeyranis says again. "Listen." when he sees he has Viperish Night's full attention he speaks. "Stalks-In-Darkness was given a contract. He was one of our most loyal brother's and it should have been a simple matter. But he never completed it, nor did he return. Our Hand sent our Silencer after him, and she too failed to return. I was bid by the Night Mother to her side. She was nearly dead, barely clinging to life on the southern border of Deshaan. Her final words before the Void welcomed her home was, Stalks-In-Darkness is no longer our brother." Speaker Malkeyranis falls to silence for a few moments before speaking again. "Betrayal is met with death. But the Night Mother stayed our hands. Said it would cost us everything if we went after him. And so the chase ended." Speaker Malkeyranis moves as close to Viperish Night as he can. "If you can silence him, necromancer, it would please the Dark Brotherhood. And that is the only reason you will live today."   
More answers that only caused more questions. "How long ago was this?" Viperish Night asks.   
"Well over four years ago." Speaker Malkeyranis says before he turns and walks through the shadows vanishing. The rest of the Brotherhood members vanish just as quickly.  
Viperish Night stands for a few long moments. So Stalks-In-Darkness was a former member of the Brotherhood, who for reasons unknown betrayed them and vanished. Viperish Night frowns and then turns and heads back into town.

Rufico and Theodyn stay in the grass until everyone has left. "We should not have seen that," Rufico says with a tremor in his voice as he rises.   
"No, you should not have."   
Rufico spins around and trips falling into the grass. Theodyn scrambles up and backs away. Speaker Malkeyranis is standing before them. "Do you think you went unnoticed?" he says.   
"Been nice knowing you," Rufico says to Theodyn. "This was a really stupid idea. I'm going to haunt your ghost."   
Theodyn closes his eyes. And then when nothing happens he slowly opens them. Speaker Malkeyranis is still there, staring at them. "There is a reason you will not be sent to the void for this." Speaker Malkeyranis says before turning and vanishing into the dark.  
Theodyn stares before slowly rising, shaking. "Did he just do that to teach us a lesson?" Theodyn says.  
"Or he just likes to scare people," Rufico mutters. "Let's get back to Razum-Dar. Who, as I remind you, is going to kill us. I'm blaming you for all of this." he turns and starts walking to town, Theodyn right behind him.   
"We learned a lot." Theodyn insists. "I could hear some of it anyway."  
"And we almost died," Rufico says. "I thought I used all my luck up in the Imperial Sewers. Must have been your luck that paid for this."  
The two are nearly back in town when the sound of paw-steps cause Theodyn to look around. A dog is following them. Theodyn looks at it curiously and then stops tugging on Rufico's sleeve. "What now, are we going to follow a Daedric Prince next?" Rufico says as he turns around. "Oh it's a dog... why are its eyes glowing like that? And...why...Theodyn...I can see bones. We need to run now." Rufico grabs Theodyn's arm and they race to town.  
The dog howls a spine-chilling howl at them before charging. The two race toward a building but an Altmer leaps from it onto Rufico, sending him tumbling to the ground. Theodyn turns. A flash of black and Theodyn is slammed against the building's wall. He looks up to see icy crystal eyes staring at him.   
"I caught the little rat," Zirasha says as she hauls Rufico up. "Damn Imperial. I thought I slit his throat back in Sentinel!" Rufico struggles in her grip but stills as she presses a knife against his throat. "Want me to finish the job?"  
"Wait." Viperish Night says, his eyes moving to Rufico briefly before turning to Theodyn. "Why did you follow me?" he says and leans in closer. "Do you want to die that badly? I can set you free. I may even let you decide how." Theodyn shakes and turns his head away shutting his eyes. Viperish Night lightly drags his claws over Theodyn's neck. "Should I have Zirasha kill your friend first then? You can go last if your that scared."  
Theodyn turns his head back to Viperish Night and opens his eyes. "Don't you dare," he says angrily.  
"Answer then." Viperish Night says.  
Theodyn's eyes dart to Rufico then back to Viperish Night. He could lie, would that work? He cannot tell him the truth. He would kill them both. The fear is like liquid ice filling his veins though. He was so stupid to follow him. To drag Rufico in it. There is no way out and Theodyn blinks back tears and suddenly bursts out a question. "Did you kill her? Everyone says it was the Bloodthorn, but you knew her. And your... you're a necromancer. Did you kill my sister Seriana?"  
Viperish Night's hands slam the wall to either side of Theodyn and he leans in even closer studying Theodyn. Those eyes, that face. Viperish Night pushes back his hood with his right hand and then runs the back of his claws down Theodyn's face. He looks so much like her. Seriana...she had shown him such kindness. Tried to save him. So very stupid of her to get anywhere near him. His eyes blink rapidly. "No, but it was my fault. My former mentor murdered her." he finally says. "Because she saw me practice necromancy, and he would not have any witnesses to that." Theodyn's eyes fill with shock and horror. "I did not know he did it. I thought the Bloodthorn killed her too until I found out the truth. One of the many reasons I'm going to kill him." Viperish Night slowly smiles. "You should like that. Your Sister's murderer bleeding and dying."  
Theodyn's eyes fill with tears and it's all he can do to keep them at bay. This was the truth of his sister's death? "NO!" he says. "She would not want that! Not even if someone killed her!"  
"Oh, I know." Viperish Night says. "She asked me not to when I called on her spirit. Back then I was willing to promise that." he leans in to whisper in Theodyn's ear. "Now, now I have no mercy left."  
Theodyn gazes into Viperish Night's eyes when all he wants to do is to look away. What Rufico said to him in the ruins comes back to him. "You are not going to stop are you?" he says quietly. "Why? Why do you want to do this?"  
"The living are mad." Viperish Night says. "Your sister died because of their madness. So many others have too. I wish to silence it. No more pain, no more suffering, no more betrayal." he lowers his arms and steps back. "Since you are Seriana's brother, I will let you live, this time. But..." his eyes narrow. "You know too much. You foolishly seem to hunt me. Next time, I will kill you." he turns to Zirasha. "Kill the Imperial or don't," he says. "Make it quick." Theodyn's eyes widen and he tries to move to Rufico, but Viperish Night grabs his arms.   
Zirasha kicks out Rufico's legs from underneath him and when he falls to the ground she pounces on him the knife hoving inches above his throat. Her eyes stare into his. "Imperial." she snarls as she starts to drive the knife down, but what she sees in Rufico's eyes stops her. "You hate Imperials too, don't you?" she asks him.   
Rufico looks up at her. "Maybe I do, a little," he says quietly. "That does not mean I want to kill them!"  
Zirasha laughs and leaps up. "You get to live this time too, Imperial. Just for that hatred in your eyes." she turns to Viperish Night. "If they do hunt us, there might be others. We should find someplace else to play."  
Viperish Night releases Theodyn. Memories swirl and he knows where they must go. There were two people Viperish Night had met in Daggerfall that claimed to know something about him he did not. One was dead, but the other...may very well still be alive in Bangkorai. Viperish Night opens a portal and he and Zirasha vanish into it.  
Theodyn stares at the spot the portal was until Rufico tugs on his arm. "We have to get back to the others, Theodyn," Rufico says gently. "We can't stay in Mournhold any longer. They could come back looking for us. All of us."  
Theodyn swallows and turns to Rufico. "I don't know how to deal with this," he says raggedly.   
"One foot ahead of the other," Rufico says. "But we need to get back to the others to tell them about this and find someplace else to set up camp."   
Theodyn nods and the two race back to the mage's guild.

-Mournhold Mage's Guild-  
Theodyn and Rufico run into the mage guild. Softly-Speckled-Crab is munching on bread eyes bright. Iveryni is deep into a book and Razum-dar is taking a catnap in a chair. "We need to go, now!" Rufico yells. "Also it's all Theodyn's fault." he gives Theodyn a shaky grin.   
Razum-dar bolts right up the chair crashing to the ground, Softly-Speckled-Crab nearly drops her bread and Iveryni places the book down and gives the two an incredulous look. Razum-dar pads over, his eyes growing serious as he sees how shaken up they are. "What is going on?"  
Theodyn swallows still shaking. "It's my fault. I saw an Argonian in a hood and convinced Rufico to follow him with me. It was him, it was Viperish Night. He left but..." Theodyn looks down. "He knows we are hunting him now. It's my fault, I am so stupid."  
Rufico places a hand on Theodyn's shoulder. "Might have done the same thing if I was you," he says.  
Razum-dar turns to a shocked Iveryni and Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Gather all our things and papers," he says to them and the two dash off as Razum-dar turns back to the boys. "Razum-dar is glad your not dead, but how are you not dead?"  
"Because of what I asked," Theodyn says. "I...asked him if he killed my sister."  
"Oh, dear," Razum-dar says.  
"It's why he did not...kill us," Theodyn says. "He said his former mentor killed my sister and he would not kill me for her."  
"This time" Rufico adds. "Let's not forget that part."  
Iveryni and Softly-Speckled-Crab run down with the bags and Razum-dar turns and walks to the back of the guild. "You can fill this one in later, it's time to change bases." Razum-dar pauses for a moment thinking. "We will travel to Elden root. Razum-dar will feel better when he's in his home territory. Until we figure our next course of action."  
The group departs for Elden Root via a mage portal.


	40. Act 3 - Haunting Dreams

-Bangkorai-  
A fire burns and flickers as Viperish Night and Zirasha sit in front of it, discarded bones from dinner littering the ground. "Did not expect you to spare the brat." Zirasha remarks  
"You spared the other one." Viperish Night says.  
Zirasha lies back, looking up at the stars. "He's like us a little. He despises his race. Just does not have the backbone to start slaughtering them."  
Viperish Night stares into the fire. "Years ago his sister tried to help me. She was destined to fail..." Viperish Night stares into the flames, memories nibbling at his tail. Seriana... she had been kind to him and even tried to help him, despite the fact he was a necromancer. Back then he had no idea the depths his former mentor would go to keep Viperish Night's abilities a secret. "I spared him for Seriana" he finally utters. "But if he continues to hunt us, he will die." the boy's face floats through Viperish Night's thoughts. He was so young, but then again Viperish Night had not been much older when he was banished and set out into the world.  
Zirasha laughs. "If kids are all they can send against us, Nirn is yours Viperish Night." she laughs again and closes her eyes and soon seems to be asleep.  
Viperish Night stares into the fire a while longer. It had been a long day, he had found answers to his questions, but they just seemed to spawn more questions. Shadowscales was taken at birth and trained as assassins. Trained to be loyal to the Dark Brotherhood. What would cause one of them to not only turn traitor but go about experimenting with eggs and time portals? It made no sense. Viperish Night's eyes fill with a familiar hatred. Did he even have egg-parents, or was that a lie too? But the eggs had to come from somewhere. Did Stalks-In-Darkness steal them? Pay Argonian's to give him eggs? Make them himself? What were lies and what was truth? His parents had been culpable? What did that even MEAN? Viperish Night snarls at the night and gets up, pacing angrily for a few minutes before his anger calms and he settles back down, reaching for the mystic relic book, skimming it with his claws tracing the woods in the firelight. Viperish Night's eyes widen sometime later, his heart seems to pause. This...could this relic exist? "The band of T'zlich" Viperish Night says quietly as he reads.

[There is enough evidence that The band of T'zlich existed, though the actual relic has been lost to time. It is a relic of death that predates necromancy from ancient times. An ancient scroll had been found ten years ago by an Imperial researcher in Craglorn that had the following tale engraved upon it {Translated from the ancient text} - A kingdom under siege with no hope for victory or survival, in desperation the King pleaded to the heavens for salvation. In response a light engulfed the King's mage, giving him the knowledge to create The band of T'zlich, which would give unlimited control of the dead to the wearer. The King used this power to raise and control the dead and he was able to destroy the army that threatened his kingdom. The mage then told the King that the band had a terrible cost. The cost was the souls of those killed by the dead. The King was horrified and made plans to destroy The band of T'zlich, for the cost was too great and in wielding it he had found that its power was truly unlimited, one could potentially control all the dead of Nirn with it. But his son coveted the power and murdered both his father and the mage for the band, and raised an army of dead and set upon his quest for ultimate power, to conquer all of Nirn. But a hero rose up and waged a war against him and in the end struck him down and claimed the band of T'zlich. The hero set to destroy it but every attempt failed and it was determined it must be an eternal object, one that can never be destroyed. The hero knew if he hid it in Nirn or realms beyond, someone would eventually find it and use it again so he took it to a mage of great power. Since it could not be destroyed the mage attempted to place a curse upon it making it impossible for anyone to wield. It failed and nearly killed him, and it was determined there had to be a condition for the curse to be placed successfully. And so the mage placed a curse that would destroy anyone attempting to wield it, save the one who met specific circumstances. ]  
{It should be noted the bottom part of the scroll was damaged, and only a few words were able to be read and translated. Argonian. Life and Death. Magic.}

Viperish Night stills as he finishes reading it. His eyes move from the book to Zirasha. Is she really sleeping? His eyes narrow. He ran into her and she just happened to have stolen THIS book? The memories from the Hist swirl in his mind. This relic could only be wielded by an Argonian with life and death magic. There was more to it than that, but he had no doubt he was the one to wield it. That in fact he was created to do so. Viperish Night's hand clutches the book tighter, his claws rending their imprint into it. Why did Stalks-in-Darkness want him to find this kind of power and what did he want from it? By all rights, Viperish Night should throw this book into the fire. Should refuse to chase after this relic. But the power it could give him...he blinks rapidly then shoves the book in his backpack and curls up by the fire. His head is swirling and he needs to rest before he decides what to do. Skeleton foxes rise and move by the fire, keeping their blue eyes on Zirasha. She had not found him by chance. More manipulation. Viperish Night hisses and closes his eyes. Running from the confusion in his mind.

_In the glade, moonlight shimmers through the bowels of the trees painting the forest floor in cold silver. It's so very quiet here. Viperish Night places a hand against one of the trees, it breaths, and lives under his palm. Even now, as deep in the river of death he swims, he can still just feel the small spark of life magic within him. He hisses and withdraws his palm as if burned. A flicker of movement has Viperish Night turning, his eyes drawn to a face he has not seen in many years. A face he has not even thought off for a long time before yesterday. He had no idea she had left a brother behind. One who now seemed to hunt him. One he, against all logic, had spared.  
Seriana looks at him without speaking, her eyes filled with sadness. Is this her, or just a memory? Viperish Night narrows his eyes and turns away from her. Just a memory. Just the past. Another flicker, another memory. Denros leans against a tree arms crossed, a confused look across his face as if he knows this is his friend, but no longer fully recognizes him. Viperish Night hisses at the memory and again turns away. Once more another memory appears and this time his heart seems to stop. Rishima...Viperish Night swallows. So long since he last saw her, even in his dreams she has not appeared for a long time. Rishima's eyes are filled with despair but also something else that makes Viperish Night turn his back on her as well. These are just memories. The real Rishima, if she knew what he had become love would not remain in her eyes. "Let me wake from this dream." Viperish Night hisses softly and he slams his claws into the nearest tree. Blue necromantic veins stream through the tree and it starts to wither and die. Viperish Night suddenly spins around as more flickers streak through the forest. His claws fall from the tree even as the corruption spreads through the glade, his eyes darting to the memories that have appeared before him. Titumus, his eyes accusing and confused. He fades only to be replaced by Zan'tabe, Kigum-dar, Qa'Dar, Fernthorn, Rayrl, and Israean. Viperish Night steps back then snarls. "You are JUST memories. Nothing more." Nothing more... nothing more because of him. He knows this. His river bade him to kill everything, and so he did. It set him free. Their eyes drill into him. Bewilderment, confusion. They tried to save them, most of them anyway. He repaid it with their death. He knows this, he does not need some dream to tell him this. His eyes narrow and the corruption spreads as the glade dies. The dream slowly fades into dusk. _

Viperish Night's eyes open and he sits up his eyes moving to the fire now just dying embers. Memories haunt him everywhere he goes. The ghost of Seriana in her brother, Rishima's in the moonlight, and more besides. Viperish Night quietly rises and gazes across the moon soaked land of Bangkorai. It's so very quiet this night. This is what he intends for this world, the peace of death. He has seen the madness of this world, tried to swim against the current. But it swept him under, he was cursed from the moment his egg came into being. He knows his life would have been different, perhaps even peaceful if not for Stalks-In-Darkness's and his former mentor's machinations. But they are not the only monsters Viperish Night has found in this world. Around every turn, they lurk. Hurting him, hurting others. The madness of it all...Those who swam upriver suffered and died, why the monsters celebrated and went hunting for more victims, more power. Viperish Night holds up his claws. He knew he had let himself become a monster. Just like them. And that he was causing suffering. Just like them. And he...betrayed his friends. He let loose the river, the power. Embraced it, swam in it. Even as they suffered and died all around him. A shiver crosses Viperish Night's spine. He knows why he does this. To finally end this utter madness, the living... his eyes fill with hate. But...is that the only reason he has embraced the icy river? It was power, more than he has ever known. And he no longer fears it...even perhaps craves it. And in truth he seeks even more power, if the relic is out there...he would have more power then any necromancer ever has. Power to silence the living, all the living. The dead far outnumbered them. And if he had control over all the dead in Nirn... Viperish Night slowly smiles. He would drown the world as the world drowned him. Silence all the monsters and save all those who would suffer if they lived. It would bring him peace, it had too. And if the power drove the ghosts from his mind, what was the harm in wanting it? As for his former mentor and Stalks-In-Darkness, yes this was their plan. But he would end them as well.  
Viperish Night gathers his bag and looks at Zirasha. She slept so lightly, but now she seems deep into dreams, as he had been. He could kill her. He should kill her, she seems apart from Stalks-In-Darkness's plans somehow. But... he tilts his head. She is curious. Viperish Night raises his staff and the skeleton foxes bare their fangs ready to surge forth on his orders, but something stays his hand and he turns his back on her to look to the north, where more answers await. And so the foxes sink back into the ground and he sets out, leaving Zirasha.

_Zirasha is far from home and somehow she has reached all the way to Cyrodiil. Of course, the funds to get her this far from Summerset was not legitimately earned. She had taken to thieving and found she was quite good at it in Valenwood. But she knew she had to move on, and quickly. Being in Dominion territory was risky, it was highly likely she would eventually run into an Altmer that recognizes her, and if that happened they would send her home for her own good. Her parents would of most certainly put the word out of their wayward daughter. If only to return order to their perfect lives, having a runaway was a stain upon their line, after all. So knowing this, she went Northwest into Cyrodiil and continued her thieving in the small towns along her path. Zirasha was halfway to the Imperial City when she decided she should head out of Cyrodiil. It was getting...unsettling. The Imperial Legion patrols were far more frequent and Daedra seemed to be in every shadow and around every corner. Zirasha had a bad feeling she had made a mistake coming here. Her fear was confirmed when she was caught red-handed by a squad of Imperials. They locked her in a dimly light prison cell in the nearest town.  
Zirasha's hands curl around the bars as she rests her head upon them. Despite running away and stealing, she's never once been in trouble. She does not even know what they will do to her, throw her in an Imperial prison? Or turn her over to the Dominion for Altmer justice? If everything was normal, that would be her guess. But these were hardly normal times. Caught up in her teenage rebellion she never did follow news of the outside world much. She knows the Dominion was formed because of cultists taking over the Imperial City but did not pay much attention to that when she decided to cross the border. Perhaps if she tried to use the official crossing, they would have stopped her. So many things she failed to take into account. Zirasha sighs and her mind focuses on the rumors she's started to hear as things have grown more chaotic. Most of the Imperial army joining the cultists. Civilians being dragged to the capital, never to be seen again. She should have turned back sooner, or better yet never came here. All Zirasha can do is curl up on the hard bed and hope against hope everything will be alright.  
The screams start in the middle of the night bolting Zirasha out of uneasy sleep. She leaps up and stands on the bed, hands curled on the small barred window, trying to see what is going on. Zirasha gasps and nearly falls off the bed backing away from the window. There are Daedra outside engulfing the town. The townsfolk have little chance against them...for the Imperial Legion are helping them round up the townsfolk, killing anyone who resists. Zirasha curls up in a ball by the door shaking. She never should have come here.  
The screaming finally stops an hour later. The night falls quiet as the Daedra finish taking the civilians away. All that is out there now is the dead. Zirasha raises her head as the door to the jail opens and heavy footsteps march down. The Imperial Captain that captured her approaches the door looking down at her. "Pretty little Altmer, we forgot you were down here. Would have given you to the Daedra too," he says. "Fortunately for us, we forgot all about you." More of his squad come down as he opens the cell door.  
After...after they did not even bother locking the cell door. They thought her broken, they thought she would die. So they just left her. _

Zirasha bolts awake the darkness pressing in. She scrambles before finally remembering she's outside and far from Cyrodiil. Just memories. just cursed memories. Zirasha throws sticks onto the fire, the orange glow flaming up to chase away the shadows. "Damn it. she swears, shaking. She would do anything to rid herself of this fear. Anything. Zirasha finally figures out she's alone. Viperish Night is gone, along with his bag. Chills course down her body as she realizes how deep she slept. He could have killed her a dozen different ways. But somehow, he did not. Zirasha's eyes fill with puzzlement, over this and the fact she misses him. She's used to being on her own, cannot tolerate being with anyone else. And yet she enjoyed traveling with Viperish Night. Dropping bodies and causing mayhem. His hurt was different than hers, but both their pain ran straight down to their cores. She envied him... he had taken that pain and became a monster. A screwed up one, but one that seemed to have no fear, and was strong enough never to get caught. Zirasha rises, looking around. "Viperish Night what direction did you go?" Zirasha says.  
"Getting attached?"  
Zirasha jumps and spins around, her heart beating wildly. Her knife is in her hands as her eyes narrow and she growls at Stalks-in-Darkness, who stands in the shadows nearby. "I did what you asked." Zirasha snaps. "He has the book, he read it. He knows about the relic."  
Stalks-in-Darkness holds out his hand. "Come then, Zirasha. I will give you what I promised," he says. "No one will ever be able to catch you again."  
Zirasha moves toward Stalks-in-Darkness, toward that hand that offers salvation from the fear she has never been able to shed, even after years and the countless bodies she's dropped to prove she can be strong enough not to get caught, even if that was just a lie she told herself to keep from screaming. Zirasha's hand reaches for Stalks-in-Darkness's hand and he grabs it pulling her close to him.  
"Such abject fear," Stalks-in-Darkness whispers to her. "Soon you will never feel fear again."  
"How?" Zirasha breaths. "You never told me that part."  
Stalks-in-Darkness smiles, fangs glimmering. "If I told you how, you would have refused. But trust me, you'll thank me in the end." he hisses.  
Zirasha's eyes widen in panic and she tries to pull out of Stalks-in-Darkness's grip but he holds her hand far too tightly. Zirasha snarls and her other hand comes up with the knife glimmering in it. "Let me go!" she snarls as she stabs Stalks-in-Darkness but he just grabs her wrist with his free hand and squeezes till she drops the knife. "So much fear..." Stalks-In-Darkness says again. A portal opens behind Zirasha and Stalks-in-Darkness throws Zirasha through it. Zirasha falls through the portal and moments later her bloodcurdling screams shatter the night. Stalks-in-Darkness throws his head back and laughs as the portal slams shut.

-Bangkorai - the next day-  
Crows fly over Viperish Night's head. Their eyes glow with blue necromantic light and bones and decayed tissue show through the dull matted feathers. Viperish Night had started feeling as if he was being stalked and so he summoned them to scout around him. And so, he had time to pick his spot and prepare. Skeleton foxes hide behind rocks and skeleton skeevers lurk in the bushes. And underneath Viperish Night's feet? Unconsecrated dead. This spot of land must have been a long-forgotten burial site or something similar. There were so very many of them.  
The Evermore guard marches toward Viperish Night's location and quickly surround him. Viperish Night stands still and slowly starts to smile. Most of them are Redguards and they are afraid, their eyes moving between him and the undead crows above his head. Viperish Night tilts his head. He remembered the Redguard, as well as their superstitions about the dead. They still came to try and stop him, risking the curse they believed would happen if they struck down what they considered the honored dead. Perhaps they thought he only had creatures to send against them? Or that he would summon Daedra as he did in Wayrest? Most of the dead were concentrated in this land after all, and Viperish Night is not sure he could raise such. Perhaps he could, but that was a question for another day, for he had been lucky enough to find lost undead. Viperish Night's smile widens. And that was something these Redguard did not know yet.  
The Captain warily approaches him, curved sword out. "Yes, yes," Viperish Night says. "You want me to surrender, correct? I am surrounded." he slowly tilts his head regarding the Captain.  
The Captain's eyes fill with anger. "For crimes of murder and unnatural magic, yes." The captain says. "Surrender peacefully or we will have your head, blasphemer."  
Always such hatred toward necromancers. Even when Viperish Night meant no harm he will still meet with hatred and fear. It used to confuse him, sadden him. Now? Now he likes to be feared. Viperish Night slowly lies his staff and bag down and holds his hands up. "There are just too many of you," he remarks.  
The captain's face shows surprise and then triumphant. He snaps a pair of restraints out and approaches Viperish Night. "Hands out, Necromancer," he says.  
Viperish Night holds his hands out and the moment the captain tries to bind them, Viperish Night surges forward and snaps his jaws around the captain's neck, blood spraying over his face and onto the ground. The guards react in horror and then anger as they surge toward Viperish Night. Too late for the blood is soaking into the ground and blue glowing cracks race across the battlefield. The ground erupts and a multitude of the forgotten dead rise around Viperish Night. Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs as he watches the Redguard's anger transform to horror. The power of death and blood is then enough to chase last night's ghosts and confusion away.  
The Redguard hesitates to strike at the dead and so it's little more than a massacre. Crows drop from the sky dive-bombing the soldiers. The skeleton foxes race across the ground sinking claws and fangs into armor to pull the guards down so the skeever skeletons can surge over them, ripping them to shreds, and the forgotten dead attack with swords, axes, maces. The unarmed ones scoop up any weapons dropped and join their brethren in the slaughter.  
The sounds of the living fade at last and the dead fall to dust. Viperish Night picks up his staff and steps through the battlefield, the ground soaked in blood. He kneels by the Captain and runs his claws across his face. Viperish Night tilts his head. "I should not do this," he says quietly as he rakes his gaze across the dead guards. When these fail to return, they will send more, they will interfere with what Viperish Night needs to do in Bangkorai. But doing what he was thinking of doing... he should not do it. But why did he want to do it then? Viperish Night's eyes slowly narrow as the answer comes to him. Because they attacked him. His target was the Wyrd, not them. And why was he worried about crossing yet another line? Viperish Night shudders softly and rises, his eyes fill with icy darkness. Why not?  
Viperish Night grips his staff and necromantic power once more covers the battleground and the Redguard rises as undead creatures, Ra-Netu as the Redguards call them. Viperish Night runs his claws across the dead captain's throat. "Go," he whispers. "March on Evermore and kill anything that gets in your way." Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs as the Ra-Netu turn north and head for the city. This will keep any further pursuers from him, so he can deal with the Wyrd.  
A dart of movement catches Viperish Night's eyes and he turns and looks across the battlefield at a small hill to see a figure running away. A woman dressed in fur and bones. One of the Wyress, she must not be allowed to warn the others that he is coming for them. Viperish Night surges after her. He will catch her. So intent on his chase, Viperish Night forgets his bag and it lies in the middle of the battlefield, forgotten.


	41. Act 3 - Hide and Seek

Theodyn sits in the chair in front of the table as the others fall in. Yesterday...yesterday was terror and shock. He's still trying to process that the way he thought his sister died, was not the truth. Seriana died because of Viperish Night, but it had not been his fault. Theodyn thinks of his mentor, Rodyn. Even though the wise mage thought the path of the mage might not be for Theodyn, he still did his best to teach him and give him time to figure out what he wanted out of life. Viperish Night's mentor... what kind of damage would that do to a person to have a mentor that thought murdering innocent people was acceptable? What else had he done to Viperish Night? Theodyn softly sighs as he remembers looking into the necromancer's eyes and seeing the smallest trace of something other than darkness and hate. It did not make Viperish Night any less of a monster but it made Theodyn believe he had not always been thus. It was unsettling that someone could be like...Theodyn glances up at his new friends. Like any of them one day and then a monster the next. What could cause that? The depths of pain needed to turn essential self into something far darker. And Theodyn did believe now Viperish Night had been like them once, for his sister would not have tried to help them had she not seen the good in him.  
Rufico leans against the wall and glances over at Theodyn slowly frowning. He hopes Theodyn is not seeing anything over then evil within Viperish Night. The necromancer might have been someone else once, but he was what he was now. To see anything else...no one must look away from the truth, must not excuse the evil that people are capable of. Rufico sighs and runs his hand through his hair as his thoughts turn to the mad Altmer Zirasha. Hatred never did anyone any good, but he could not help what he felt. Even as a kid, to see his kinsmen ally with evil instead of doing the right thing made him sick. But hatred did not give anyone the right to kill. Rufico swallows and sighs.  
Razum-dar stands before the table arms crossed. He stares at the papers. Too many pieces and far too few leads. And to make matters worse Theodyn and Rufico almost met their end, not once but twice. By all rights, the Brotherhood should have killed them for eavesdropping, and considering Viperish Night had no trouble dropping bodies, he should have killed them both without hesitating. The fact that the two were still alive was nothing short of miraculous. Razum-dar knows he cannot always be there, but he promised to look after Theodyn, and he promised himself to look after the others. He was not a cub-sitter! But...though they were young, they would become heroes in this. Razum-dar had seen it before. Untested people rose up to become heroes and triumph even over the most impossible tasks. Jeziasi had been young too when fate called her to fight against the Plainmeld and Molag Bal. Razum-dar glances at the group. It would not be without a heavy cost. He saw what the wars did to Jeziasi. In the end, she had left the Dominion and all she knew and he only saw her again in Summerset, and then she had changed so much. Enough that he had been forced to look into some things regarding her. What he found troubled him. But she was still a hero, still willing to fight against Nocturnal. Who she had been during the wars was still within her. He hoped it still was there. After Summerset... Razum-dar sighs and rubs a paw over his eyes before refocusing on what is right in front of them. He had at last gotten word back on Rufico and Softly-Speckled-Crab, though it had been more difficult since he had no eyes in Vvardenfell and Cyrodiil. He would have to change that, but for now, the two checked out. Razum-dar's eyes move to Rufico. Would Rufico want to know the fate of his parents? Razum-dar had overheard what Rufico had told Theodyn of his past. He would not ask, however. If Rufico wished to know, Razum-dar was confident he would ask him.  
Iveryni pages through a book, trying not to look at the papers on the table. Nothing new. She almost wishes to sweep them off the table. Viperish Night had been here. If Rufico and Theodyn had come back for them, maybe this could all be over! Iveryni takes a deep breath, placing the book back in the bookcase. It was not that simple. She knew this. If it was going to be that easy to stop him, someone would have done it by now. Iveryni glances at Rufico and then at Theodyn. They had nearly lost two of their own already. It was sheer stupidity for them to do what they did. Theodyn...he had to have been taking the attack on his guild and the loss of his friends harder than they knew. His fear and sadness were turning to anger. He had to get a reign on it. Anger was good, but not if it leads to fatal mistakes. "Theodyn, you almost got yourself and Rufico killed yesterday. You understand this?" she says in a frosty voice.  
Theodyn looks up at her and then back down. "I know that, Iveryni. I'm sorry. I just started thinking about Brei and Sabri and how he just murdered them. I just wanted to stop him before he killed anyone else." he says softly.  
"We cannot stop him," Softly-Speckled-Crab says, looking up from the floor which she has chosen to lie on as she reads a book and munches on bread. "Not yet. It's not time yet. We are not ready, and we do not have what we need."  
Everyone turns to look at her and Iveryni gives her a puzzled look. "Softly-Speckled-Crab, what makes you say that?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab blinks. "Dreams," she says in between bites. "A lovely lady comes to speak to me there."  
No one seems to know what to say to that, so Rufico changes the subject. "Zirasha, the Altmer that was with Viperish Night. She's the one who attacked me in Sentinel," he says, touching the scar across his neck. "Guess I know how I fit in with you now," he adds.  
"We are all connected," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"So to reiterate," Iveryni says. "Viperish Night is no longer working alone, now he has a murderous thief tagging along with him. We also now know that the mysterious Argonian from the memory shard is a former Brotherhood member, Stalks-In-Darkness. Also that Viperish Night had a mentor, who might still be in play and who is almost certainly a necromancer as well." she states.  
"Viperish Night hates him" Theodyn chimes in. "I could see it in his eyes when he brought his former mentor up.  
"This one thinks it's good to know all this, but it does not help us right now," Razum-dar says. "We are back to waiting."  
"Here Kitty Kitty." Softly-Speckled-Crab suddenly says, her claws reaching toward the door, where a grey tabby with black stripes has sauntered" in, a mouse in his jaws. Softly-Speckled-Crab scratches the cat's head but shakes her head when the cat tries to gift her the dead mouse. "Thank you, but I prefer bread, kitty," she says.  
The tabby moves on, swirling around Razum-dar's legs and looking up at him hopefully. "Razum-dar can catch his own mice," Razum-dar tells the cat. "Not that this one eats mice, of course!"  
"I hate this waiting," Theodyn says. "More people will die." The tabby leaps up onto the table and tries to present Theodyn with the mouse. "Um... no thanks," Theodyn says. "I don't like dead things."  
"I have tried everything I can think of to locate Viperish Night, the Vestige," Iveryni says frustrated. "Nothing I do works." The tabby leaps off the table and marches up to her with the mouse. He looks up at her, the dead mouse dangling and hers if she wants it. Iveryni just sighs and ignores the tabby.  
"Theodyn has a point," Rufico says. "We can't just w..." Rufico suddenly screams as the tabby comes over and tries to gift him the mouse. "I HATE RATS AND MICE." he yells. The tabby meows forlornly and slinks out of the room with its unwanted gift. Rufico looks up at the others, who are just staring at him. "Try living in sewers for a while, they will scare you too!"  
"Sewers?" Softly-Speckled-Crab asks.  
The tabby reenters the room, his mouth full still. The tabby's eyes dart back and forth between Theodyn and Rufico before settling on Theodyn. The tabby marches up to the table and leaps upon it again and drops his mouthful in front of Theodyn. "Not the dead mouse again," Theodyn says as he gingerly looks down at the tabby's gift. Theodyn's brow wrinkled in confusion as he touches what the tabby dropped in front of him. "...Why did this cat bring me cheese?" he says in confusion.  
Everyone falls silent and looks at the cheese and the tabby. The tabby puffs up his fur and opens his mouth to meow. "Because you refused a perfectly good mouse!" The tabby announces. "Now I prefer CHEESE, but I don't like to share! But you had TO REFUSE A PERFECTLY GOOD MOUSE! ...though I think it had fleas."  
Theodyn bolts right out of his chair, Softly-Speckled-Crab rises, a curious expression on her face. Iveryni reaches for her staff and Razum-dar growls at the tabby. Rufico moves in a little closer. "How can cats talk?"  
Razum-dar gives Rufico a look. "Razum-dar is also a cat," he says before turning his eyes back on the tabby who hisses at him.  
"You're also BORING!" the tabby spits at Razum-dar. "Boring, boring, boring!" I don't want to talk to you!" he turns back to Theodyn. "I presented this mortal with the CHEESE. He is the one I will talk to."  
Razum-dar growls softly. "Mortal...Razum-dar does not like where this is going."  
Iveryni's eyes are locked onto the tabby and as Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to touch the tabby, Iveryni stops her. "Crab, stop. I believe we are speaking to a Daedric Prince. It would be unwise to poke him."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab stops, her eyes wide. The tabby turns his eyes onto Iveryni. "You're not stupid at least," he says. "But you are boring too!" he hisses at Iveryni.  
Iveryni frowns. "Am I correct in assuming you are Sheogorath of the house of troubles?" she says."  
The tabby puffs up again. "Your right, but still BORING!" he yowls.  
"Another one." Razum-dar sighs. "This is making Razum-dar's head hurt. What do you want?" he asks.  
Sheogorath hisses at Razum-dar again. "Shut up or I'll pluck out your eyes and feed them to the fleas!" As Razum-dar growls again, Sheogorath spits. "Let me be CLEAR since your brain is the size of a hairball. I will ONLY speak to the one who was beholden the CHEESE. And if your asking with your tiny brain, why him? It was between him and the shaggy one over there. That one has seen MADNESS! I like him! But this one?" he turns back to Theodyn. "He's trying to be two things at once! And one of those things because of a dead sister! You can't be her, ITS MADNESS! I LOVE IT!" Sheogorath chases his tail for a few moments before continuing. "You have to pick one! Or...Or you could come live in my realm and be both!"  
Theodyn opens his mouth and then closes it, unable to dispute what Sheogorath had said about him. He had been trying to be a mage like his sister, to honor her memory but... something else called to him. He sits back down. "What do you want?" Theodyn softly says.  
"What do I want? CHEESE!" Sheogorath meows. "Also I want mortals. You are all delightfully mad! I LOVE MORTALS. Except when I hate them! Sheogorath gives his shoulder a few quick licks. "It's like this, I'm leaving a book to stir up madness and what do my POOR ears hear? Some high and mighty necromancer says he wants TO END the madness of the living! HOW IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? I TELL YOU IT'S NOT! Ol Sheogorath will not have it!" he hisses angrily.  
"Viperish Night" Theodyn breaths.  
"I was afraid he truly hated the living," Iveryni says grimly, remembering all too well the horror of Oblivion's Isle. "But even with the power of necromancy, he cannot destroy every living person. It's impossible."  
Sheogorath glares at Iveryni who quickly falls silent again. "It's Impossible, is it? Just as a Planemeld is impossible? Just as rewriting all of existence is impossible? Cheese that talks is impossible?" Sheogorath falls silent thinking. "That last one is. FOR NOW." he turns back to Theodyn. "I can not, will not get involved directly! But your friend Sheogorath will tell you something about someone you're looking for. But I want something in return!"  
The room stills and Theodyn pales. Making any kind of deal with a Daedric Prince is in itself, utter madness. "It's NOT LIKE THAT!" Sheogorath spits. "All I want is for you to tell a certain Bosmer something for me!"  
Theodyn looks at Razum-dar, who slowly nods. "Agreed," Theodyn says.  
"GOOD, that was not so hard was it?" Sheogorath says and then continues. "When you find Jeziasi, tell her SHE'S OFF MY FAVORITE MORTAL LIST!" Sheogorath says, lashing his tail back and forth. "We had fun during that whole book thing with Shalidor. But now? NOW!? She comes into MY realm and does she come to see ol Sheogorath? Have some tea and mice brains on crackers? NO! she slides into another realm without so much as a hello! MORTALS SHOULD NOT know how to find the weak spots between Oblivion realms, WHO TAUGHT HER THAT? She has no manners! OFF THE FAVORITE LIST FOREVER!"  
Razum-dar's mouth falls open. "Jeziasi is in Oblivion!?" he says.  
Sheogorath ignores Razum-dar instead focusing intently on Theodyn who finally figures out he wants an answer. "Yes, that does sound rude," Theodyn says. "I'll tell her when we find her."  
"GOOD!" Sheogorath says. "Then here is what you get in return! Jeziasi slipped into is the colored rooms! Meridia's realm. I would NEVER GO THERE. It's so boring! No madness, no fun!"  
"How long ago?" Theodyn asks.  
"WHAT kind of question is that?" Sheogorath yowls. "Half-past CHEESE! The year of the goat! I DO NOT KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BORING MORTAL TIME." Sheogorath huffs. "There. I'm done. I'll be taking the cheese back now." Sheogorath grabs the cheese and talks around it. "Get bored of being sane, come see your uncle Sheogorath!" he says to Theodyn. "You could become my favorite! YOU'D LOVE THAT." and with that Sheogorath leaps from the table and stalks out the door.  
The room is quiet before Razum-dar finally speaks. "Jeziasi... what have you gotten yourself into?" he says.  
"We need to find a way to speak with Meridia," Iveryni says.  
"...I stole from one of her cultists once in Auridon," Rufico says sheepishly. "She caught me of course. Being a gentleman, I gave it back and she slapped me. And then we got to talking and after that, we were on the carpet for a while."  
"Carpets are nice," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"Razum-dar thinks you could have left out the carpet part," Razum-dar says. "But to the matter at hand, Meridia helped during the war against Molag Bal in Coldharbour, and her champion helped in Summerset. Jeziasi could still be in her realm. Meridia should be amiable to help us." Razum-dar thinks for a few moments. "Tomorrow this one, Rufico and Iveryni will journey to Auridon. Theodyn, you, and Softly-Speckled-Crab will stay here. This one thinks it is a bad idea to have all our eggs in one basket. And more news may come in."

-Auridon - Vulkhel Guard -  
"Just a tiny favor, Caseyln," Rufico asks a slight Bosmer with long bronze hair.  
Caseyln has her arms crossed around her chest and a sour expression across her face. "You left." she accuses. "Just up and left without even a goodbye. You, Rufico, are nothing but a scoundrel."  
Rufico looks sheepish. "At least I did not steal any more of your jewelry," he says.  
"Only because you are a horrible thief and I already caught you once," Caseyln responds.  
"Twice," Rufico says with a grin.  
"I should slap you, Rufico," Caseyln says.  
Razum-dar coughs into his paw. "Why this is utterly fascinating, we should wrap this up. Though this one knows the temptation of being with pretty ladies all day."  
"Let us get to the point," Iveryni says. "This is not a social call."  
Rufico runs his hand through his hair. "The favor is...we need to speak with your Prince, Caseyln."  
Caseyln falls silent. "I wondered if you recognized what you tried to steal for what it was," she says and glances nervously at Razum-dar. "I recognize you. Your the Queen's eye."  
Razum-dar puts up his hands. "This one is not here to get you in any kind of trouble. Razum-dar can look the other way when the need arises."  
"Why do you need to speak to Lady Meridia?" Caseyln asks.  
"We need to find the Vestige," Iveryni says. "We were contacted by someone that indicated she was and may yet be in Meridia's realm. It's crucial we find the Vestige." When Caseyln looks unconvinced Iveryni adds. "We require her to help deal with a very dangerous necromancer."  
Caselyn's expression turns grim. "My lady would wish to assist with this then if it concerns that foul magic and the undead. Follow me and I will take you to one of her shrines. I am trusting you to keep it a secret. We mean no harm."  
Caseyln leads them into the wilderness and an hour later they stand before an unassuming door built into a rock face. Caseyln holds up her necklace and it glows softly and the door slides open. She leads the group down a small staircase, magical torches glowing with a soft warm glow. The staircase ends in an open room. A shrine stands at the base of a statue of Meridia. Caseyln walks to the shrine and kneels lighting candles at its base. "My Lady Meridia, Prince of life, these mortals wish to speak to you on a matter involving necromancy," she says softly.  
Meridia's statue starts to glow with a golden aura. "Speak what you will." An ethereal voice containing untold power echos in the room.  
Razum-dar steps forth. "Lady Meridia, we have been told we need the Vestige. Recently we learned she has been in your realm. Is she still there? We need to find Jeziasi."  
The statue glows brighter and Meridia's voice thunders. "Do not speak her name in my presence!" Meridia says angrily. "She has fallen from my light and when she dared enter MY sanctum, I cast her to the fires." The glow intensifies and slams into the group, sending them crashing toward the entrance.  
Caseyln turns to them, having been unaffected by her Prince's anger. "Leave the shrine, now!" she snaps. "My Lady has spoken.." Razum-dar, Rufico, and Iveryni quickly race up the stairs. The door opens and they leave the shrine.  
Once outside Iveryni turns to Razum-dar. "What did Jeziasi do?" Iveryni says.  
Razum-dar throws his hands up. "This one has no idea!" he says.  
"You must have some idea," Iveryni asks again.  
Razum-dar thinks for a moment. "Perhaps she disapproved of Jeziasi making a deal with Clavicus Vile during the Summerset incident. Or she could have done something in Oblivion that angered Meridia." Razum-dar says with a huff.  
Rufico looks back at the shrine. Caseyln...yeah he was going to stay away from her in the future. He turns to look at Razum-dar. "Just who is this Vestige?" he says. "She seems good at pissing off Daedric Princes."  
Razum-dar shakes his head. "Jeziasi is complicated," he says. "Yes, this one knows he keeps saying that. But how to explain all Jeziasi is? This one would not even attempt that!" he looks at Rufico and Iveryni. "She is Razum-dar's old, dear friend. No matter how much she changes or who she angers, this one hopes that never changes."  
"Still, we are now back to square one," Rufico says running his hand through his hair.  
"No, we are not," Iveryni says. As the others turn to stare at her she raises an eyebrow as if to say, you have not figured this out yet? "Meridia hates the undead, there is no way she would just yell and toss us out with nothing. She must know Jeziasi is needed, despite her anger." Iveryni pauses to make sure she has their attention. "I cast her into the fires," she repeats what Meridia had told them. "This must be a clue to what Oblivion realm Meridia cast her into."  
Razum-dar's expression turns grim. "This one does not like where this is going. There is only one Oblivion plane that would fit that clue."  
"Mehrunes Dagon's realm, the Deadlands." Iveryni finishes grimly.  
"Please tell me we are not going to go visit Mehrunes Dagon's shrine next," Rufico says.  
"Most defiantly NOT," Razum-dar says. "Meridia is one thing, but Mehrunes Dagon is another! During the war, the Veiled Heritance called on his help to try and overthrow Queen Ayrenn. The Dominion will not tolerate worshipers or shrines to Dagon."  
"I have been working on a tracing spell," Iveryni says. "The whole of Oblivion would have been impossible for such a thing, but a single plane? Perhaps it will work. If I can avoid detection, at least. It will take a bit of time but I'm confident I can do it."  
Razum-dar turns toward Vulkhel Guard. "We should hurry back to the mage guild to return to Elden Root, then," Razum-dar says.  
"I have a very stupid question," Rufico says. "Iveryni, you don't know how to open portals? I mean, of course, you don't, but I thought you would."  
"...I have yet to master it," Iveryni says. "It should be easy for me, but for reasons I cannot explain, I have not been able to. I will continue to work on it." she turns and follows Razum-dar back to town with Rufico on her heels.

-Evermore-  
Theodyn's heart is in his throat. All he can do is stare at the devastation all around him. Bodies lie where they have fallen on blood-soaked ground. Stab and slash wounds, bites, and more. And somehow almost worse, the ones that still live. Huddled in balls, leaning against doorways with shocked looks in their eyes, on the ground fighting for life. He is utterly useless right now. All he can do is take in the devastation and horror. Softly-Speckled-Crab is more useful than him at this moment. She's helping to treat the wounded, and offering those who are too far gone to save a hand to hold as they pass from this world.  
Theodyn and Softly-Speckled-Crab had been in Elden Root's mage guild, waiting on the others to get back when the mages had gotten word that Evermore had been attacked by a wave of Ra-netu that earlier, had been members of their guard until they tried to stop Viperish Night, and that they were requesting aid from any mage guild to assist with the injured. Theodyn watched the mages stream through the portals, and then Softly-Speckled-Crab had gotten up and raced through as well, and Theodyn could not let her go alone, so he had followed.  
An unholy moan and a Ra-Netu charges at the wounded. Theodyn spins around and suddenly instead of thinking of the horror all around him, all he can think about is protecting those who cannot protect themselves. His sword is suddenly drawn and the training he had been sneaking in after his mage studies flows like instinct and his sword cuts through the Ra-Netu's neck, sending both crashing to the grown. Theodyn breaths hard and stares at it for a second before wildly looking around for more, only when he is sure there are none does he relax slightly.  
~/~That morning when Theodyn had awoken, the words of Sheogorath come back to him. And so Theodyn took his mage staff and his sword and set them upon the bed and studied them for long moments. Finally, he lies his hand on the staff. "Seriana... I will always miss you. I will always try to save people in your memory, but I am not you. I need to stop trying to be." he says softly as a tear rolls down his cheek. He dresses, not in mage robes but in light armor he had found packed with his sword. It fit him perfectly. How did Rodyn know he would choose this? He will have to tell his mentor how grateful he is to him when he next sees him. Theodyn picks up the sword and straps it on, then pauses as a golden glow fills the room. Theodyn turns, but it's gone if it had been there at all. ~/~  
After everyone that could be saved had been treated and the dead properly concentrated Theodyn and Softly-Speckled-Crab sit at a table in the nearby inn. It is a dismal scene, Evermore had been shocked to its core. Not only did Viperish Night slaughter the guard sent to apprehend him, but he also had the audacity to send them back as undead Ra-netu to savage the city. "We have to stop him," Theodyn says softly. He knows what he saw in Viperish Night's eyes, but he also knows that he has gone too far.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab places her clawed hand on his. "We will. Not yet, but we will." she looks deep into his eyes. "You have decided to fight death, though you cannot stand death. You are brave and closer to being who you need to be to stand against this foe."  
Theodyn swallows. "I hope so. It's always called to me. I just ignored it to try and follow in my sister's footsteps. I was a little crazy. I just missed her so much. I felt closer to her when I followed her path. I know I have to make my own now, though."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab offers him a piece of bread and Theodyn takes it, slowly eating. "We will all become what we need to. The lovely lady has said thus." Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
Theodyn finishes his bread and stands. "We should get back. The others should be back by now, and Razum-dar may have our heads for leaving."  
"It was the right thing to do," Softly-Speckled-Crab says as she rises. "Our kitty will understand."  
"Our...kitty," Theodyn says with a small smile. "Let's never tell Razum-dar he's our kitty. Or maybe we should. The expression on his face would be priceless."  
"Before he killed us," Softly-Speckled-Crab says as they walk to the door.  
As they exit the Inn they are greeted by a guard who hands over a bag. "We found this while investigating out of the city." the guard says. "We think it belongs to Viperish Night."  
Theodyn takes the bag and the guard speeds away. He glances at Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Let's get back now," he says.

-Elden Root-  
Iveryni is at the table, a multitude of books spread out before her as she perfects the locator spell she's been working on. Rufico is napping in the corner and Razum-dar is reading a book. He looks up as Softly-Speckled-Crab and Theodyn walk in. Razum-dar puts the book down and walks to the two, looking them over. Seeing them uninjured he puts a paw on Theodyn's shoulder. "You have decided on this then," he says. "Also this one was informed of where you two had gotten off to." As Theodyn opens his mouth to apologize Razum-dar stops him. "No need. You two did the right thing." Razum-dar says.  
"A choice not made out of anger," Theodyn says quietly. "I am angry, Razum-dar. But I can see what anger and hatred have done to Viperish Night. I do not want it to control me." he looks over at Iveryni. "Did you find the Vestige?" he asks  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to Rufico and lies next to him. "So many were hurt today. I could not save them all," she says sadly. "I am going to sleep now. Rufico is so warm." she closes her eyes.  
"That is one strange Argonian." Razum-dar remarks before turning back to Theodyn. "Meridia is angry at Jeziasi, we are not sure why. But she gave us a clue and we think Jeziasi is in the Deadlands. Iveryni is figuring out how to locate her without Mehrunes Dagon being aware of us. Razum-dar just hopes he is not aware of Jeziasi." Razum-dar sighs worriedly and moves to sit in a chair. "You should rest why you can, Theodyn."  
Theodyn places the bag on the table for after they rest and moves to a spot on the carpet and lies down. "If everyone is here, I want to be here too," he says. "Razum-dar? You are close to Jeziasi, aren't you?"  
Razum-dar blinks. "This one was, once. She is a force, that one." he leans back and closes his eyes. "Rest, Theodyn."  
Theodyn closes his eyes. The horrors of the day wore him down, but he was more at peace than he had been in a long time. And sleeping here with his friends near was soothing and so he quickly falls asleep.


	42. Act 3 - Blood calls to Blood

-Viridian Woods, Bangkorai-  
A wolf's haunting howl. Crows turning their black-feathered heads to watch the intruder in their words. Spriggons hissing from their trees. They will come for him...soon. Once, once he was welcomed here, abide for a brief time. Now? Now he was an intruder, an unwanted guest. Viperish Night's claws sink into the forest ground and his eyes dart to the trees, he hears the sounds of the living Viridian Woods. Once being here felt like peace. Now it burns into his scales, a disjointed melody out of tune with the dark song of necromancy. Viperish Night pauses and waits. And at last, she comes. She melts out of the woods like a ghost, her brown eyes narrowed, her black hair brushing her shoulders. Wyress Asteria, though she's older now, as he is. It had been so long ago that he met her. That she showed him this sacred place. His eyes dart from her to the woods around her. Yes, her sisters have come with her. Two emerge from the woods behind Wyress Asteria, the rest from either side of Viperish Night. All armed, weapons drawn. Pushing aside past memories, Viperish Night locks eyes with Wyress Asteria. "He once told me to seek you out." Viperish Night says. "When I chose my path when I was free of my former mentor." Viperish Night tilts his head awaiting her response.  
Wyress Asteria steps forward, her spiked staff clenched in one hand. "No," she says. "Once, yes. If you had chosen another path. But this path? This corruption of life? No." Wyress Asteria raises her staff, fury in her eyes. "Do you think we would not feel the death of one of our sisters? You murdered her for nothing, Viperish Night, for we felt it and thus the forest knew the tale of her death."  
Viperish Night hisses softly. That...had been foolish of him. He wanted to come unannounced but he underestimated how deeply their connection went. Viperish Night tilts his staff and the ground rumbles. The sisters start to move but before they can decayed vines shoot up from the ground and wraps around the two sisters behind Wyress Asteria. At the gasps of horror, Viperish Night just grins. "Even plants die." Viperish Night remarks. "I can raise them just as easily as any other dead. Make one move toward me, and they die. Painful and in agony."  
The Wyrd freeze as one, the fury evident in their eyes. Wyress Asteria's hand shakes as her lips curl in a snarl. "I thought you different than other necromancers, once," she snarls. "But you're just like that mentor of yours. He threatened us just as you do, with the same darkness in his eyes."  
Viperish Night freezes. "What," he utters.  
"You did not know?" Wyress Asteria asks. "I was going to find you, Viperish Night. Tell you something you needed to know. He stopped me, threatened my sisters and the woods if I did."  
Viperish Night lowers his head and sighs. Nothing his former mentor had done surprises him any longer. Yet another reason to find and kill him. His eyes cloud with anger. Not just at his former mentor, but at Wyress Asteria as well. "So your sisters before an outsider." Viperish Night remarks and then surges forward. Wyress Asteria swings her spiked staff but Viperish Night knocks it from her grasp and grabs her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. "Not surprising." he hisses. "You could have tried again. Found another way. The living always disappoints."  
Wyress Asteria's fingernails dig into Viperish Night's scales. "The woods come first! Before us, before anything else." she chokes out. "You understood that once!"  
Viperish Night brings his teeth in closer to Wyress Asteria. "Tell me." he hisses. "Or I will kill every living thing in this forest. All your sisters, every single animal down to the smallest insect, and the trees and plants. I've done it before. With utter ease," Viperish Night's eyes seem to glow as he reaches for the necromancy.  
"Stop this!" One of the sisters cries out from the side. Viperish Night's eyes dart to her and a dead root surges from the ground to impel her, she lets out a strangled scream before dying.  
The rest of the sisters start to advance but Wyress Asteria bids them to halt. "I will tell you." she spits. "Just so you know what part of you you threw away. So thoughts of what you could have been torment you!"  
Viperish Night leans in, his breath hot against her face. "Then tell me." he hisses.  
Wyress Asteria whispers something to Viperish Night and upon hearing it Viperish Night jerks back in shock releasing Wyress Asteria to fall from his claws onto the forest ground. "Impossible!" he snarls. "Your lying."  
Wyress Asteria stands, eyes filling with untold volumes of fury. "Impossible as it may be, you know I speak the truth."  
Viperish Night takes a step back, staring at Wyress Asteria. She's right. He feels it deep inside of him. A truth he did not know, but once he heard the words there was no denying it.  
"Let my two sisters go and leave our woods. Wyress Asteria orders. "I have given you what you want. Now begone. You will never be welcome among us again. We are your enemy, Viperish Night."  
Viperish Night stares at her and then his eyes move to the two sisters still trapped by his undead roots. "You chose your sisters over me." Viperish Night says. "Perhaps I can understand that. You did it to save their lives, so you would not lose them that day, long ago." Viperish Night's eyes go ice-cold as he clenches his fist and the roots suddenly and viciously contracts crushing the two Wyrd sisters, killing them instantly. "You lost them anyway," he turns his back and then looks behind him. "Come attack me. I do not mind slaughtering all of you today."  
Wyress Asteria holds up her hand. "Leave," she says hoarsely. Knowing as much as they require vengeance for this, that it will only end in their deaths, the forest's death.  
Viperish Night's hand moves to his amulet, and a portal opens, He walks through, leaving the woods and the Wyrd behind.

-South-Western Bangkorai-  
The sun has set and night falls, stars illuminating the desert. Viperish Night stands, head down. The truth assaults him. And memories assault him as well, for Viperish Night stands in the very spot where the child died after his former mentor called Daedra to murder her for witnessing Viperish Night's necromancy. His fault, in part. He lost control for the first time in a long time that day. The child saw and ran in fear, deeper into the desert. Into a monster's clutches. This is where he found out how much a monster his former mentor truly was. Had suspected he murdered Seriana as well as others who saw. He would rather not be here, but he needs answers now. And only Stalks-In-Darkness or his former mentor can give him those answers. And he has no way to contact Stalks-In-Darkness, learning he had been a Dark Brotherhood shadowscale that turned rouge...was fascinating but less than helpful. And so, he came here. In hopes, his former mentor would show his face. Viperish Night raises his head, his eyes glimmering.  
An hour later the familiar blue glow of his mentor appears. Viperish Night's eyes narrow at his former mentor, filling with fury and hatred. "Who are you really?" he snaps.  
His former mentor stops in front of him and smirks. "One question, my former pupil," he says. "Is that the one you want? I will tell you who I am right here, right now. Just ask."  
Viperish Night freezes, eyes widening. He did not expect any kind of openness from his former mentor. He studies the glowing mer. The mysterious mentor who he thought a spirit once. Who claimed it was astral projection that allowed him to appear like this, though he somehow still could affect the world. All Viperish Night knew about him was that he was a necromancer, he was a mer, and he was a monster. And that he was more deeply involved in Viperish Night's life than he ever suspected. Viperish Night opens his mouth and then closes it. Would knowing this monster's name change anything? Viperish Night still wanted him dead. Names did not matter so much when one was a corpse. So no. Viperish Night takes a deep breath, reining in his anger and hate as he runs through the questions in his mind. He could ask why. How. So many questions swirl in his head but one...no two questions were so very important to him right now. Thjonwulf's words from that night in his cabin ring in his head. Hunt them down to the ends of the earth... Viperish Night swallows. But there was only one question. To ask about his Egg-Mother... Or his Egg-Father? Viperish Night's claws curl. He suspected Stalks-In-Darkness...but he still could be wrong about that. The brutal Argonian confused him. But if Stalks-In-Darkness was... it would be a question wasted. He had other plans to find that truth out. "My...Egg-Mother," Viperish Night finally asks, "If I even have one."  
"I am almost impressed," Mentor says. "Not who she is or where she is, or anything like that. Just that, and I now can either force you to specify a question about her or tell you what I wish," Mentor falls silent and stares at Viperish Night, who stares right back. Neither blink nor speak for long moments. "What did Stalks-in-Darkness tell you about her?"  
"Only that my Egg-Parents was culpable." Viperish Night says.  
"That could mean many things," Mentor says folding his arms over his chest.  
"Or just a lie." Viperish Night hisses, claws curling.  
"It is not a lie," Mentor says. "She bonded with your Egg-Father. To Argonians, that means an intent to have eggs," he pauses for a moment gathering his thoughts. "She clearly did not care what happened to the eggs after that. She never did make any kind of an effort to find out if the eggs hatched or where the hatchlings went, and you know that is true since you don't even know her name much less anything else about her."  
Viperish Night clenches his claws into firsts, eyes filled with fury. "More lies?" he snaps.  
"Not this time," Mentor says. "I never really lied to you, Viperish Night. Just misleadings and leaving information out," he shrugs.  
"It cannot be true," Viperish Night whispers, a look of loss breaking through the hatred and fury.  
"If it was the father, that would be true. But a mother can not possibly not know they have children, or in the case of Argonian's, eggs."  
Viperish Night trembles. He wants to ask more questions. He wants to tear Former Mentor apart until he tells Viperish Night EVERYTHING. But he's not here...unless he wants to be.  
"Come closer," Mentor instructs. "I will charge the amulet for you and instill it with her location, mind you, it is not perfect. You will have to search for her but she will be in the area. You can do what you want from there."  
Viperish Night takes off the amulet and holds it out to his former mentor. "I will find you, you know that right? Viperish Night says.  
Mentor clasps the amulet in his hands. "You can try but is that your priority now?" the amulet starts to glow.  
"I see through your deceptions now." Viperish Night hisses. "Including Zirasha. I know you and Stalks-in-Darkness want me to find the relic." Viperish Night's eyes fill with icy resolve. "If you try to take it from me when I do find it..."  
The amulet stops glowing and Mentor holds it out to Viperish Night. "I don't care if you find it or what you do with it," he says. "Its Stalks-in-Darkness you should be watching, not I. And, no he does not want the relic. He wants something else. But that is something you will have to find out on your own."  
Viperish Night's eyes focus on the amulet and he reaches for it but at the last second his hand grabs Mentor's wrist instead, claws sinking into flesh. Viperish Night's eyes move to his former mentor and he smiles. "Just an astral projection." Viperish Night hisses. "In that case, will it matter all that much if I rip your hand off?"  
A look of panic briefly crosses Menotr's face before he hides it. "I am not here." he hisses. "I never was. I reside in the cave Stalks-in-Darkness locked me into. I can briefly bring both forms into some semblance of connection, such as a hand."  
"So you don't know then." Viperish Night says, tightening his grip. Mentor's blood drips onto the ground. The droplets are glowing blue, but does that mean he's bleeding back in the cave as well?  
"Do you think this tiny bit of pain is anything compared to what has been done to me?" Mentor snaps.  
"Perhaps not." Viperish Night says. "But necromancers need their hands." Viperish Night smiles as his eyes lock onto his former mentors. His spine tingles in pleasure at the fear he sees in those eyes.  
"The look in your eyes." Mentor spits. "You'd do it, and laugh about it. So different from when I mentored you. So much like..." Mentor trails off.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "You helped create me. You helped turn me into a monster. Did you even know it would mean your doom?" Viperish Night releases his former mentor's hand, taking the amulet with him as he steps back. Mentor snaps his hand back and glares at Viperish Night. Fear, hatred, and yes, confusion in those eyes. "In person." Viperish Night warns. "I want to hurt you, maim you, kill you in person. Not like this."  
"You can try," Mentor says. "You still have to find me first."  
Viperish Night shrugs. He has found many things since leaving the island. Would it be so hard finding his former mentor as well? He turns to go, his claws fingering the amulet.  
"The dark gift," Mentor says quietly. "You like it now. It consumes, but it gives so much knowledge and so much power in return. You could rule Nirn, but instead, all you wish is its doom."  
Viperish Night swallows. Such a simple goal, and yet so horrific. "I am compelled," Viperish Night whispers, "The madness of this world destroyed me over and over again. The monsters that exist here tore me asunder with no hope of escaping them and becoming something better. The dead never betrayed me, and so they are all that should exist."  
"You're mad," Mentor says. "You know this, surely."  
Mad? It was the world that was mad, not him. "What did you want to do with necromancy?" Viperish Night asks, looking back at his former mentor.  
The look in Mentor's eyes is longing and hunger. "Knowledge, the forbidden nature of it and the power it could give me," Mentor says. "It compelled me to reach for even greater power."  
"You failed." Viperish Night points out. "I know that much at least. You would not be reduced to trailing Stalks-in-Darkness and teaching me otherwise."  
Mentor's eyes are furious and he stalks to Viperish Night. "You think you can do better? You think you cannot fail with your mad plan?"  
Viperish Night growls and then turns his head away. Again he is getting to Viperish Night, Viperish Night knows better by now than to let him.  
"Wait," Mentor says and Viperish Night looks back at him. "I have one last thing to tell you."

-Elden Root-  
Morning comes and everyone slowly wakes up. Razum-dar is leaning against the wall, munching on a delectable sweet roll. "This one talked a lovely Altmer mage into bringing us breakfast," Razum-dar says.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab bolts right up and runs for the sweet rolls, grabbing one for each hand. She settles in on the floor munching happily. Rufico sits up and blinks a few moments as he realizes Softly-Speckled-Crab had been sleeping against him. He finally gets up and takes a sweet roll as well and tossing one at Theodyn who catches it from his spot on the floor.  
"It is done," Iveryni says tiredly. as she walks over them and sits down with a sweet roll. She has stayed up all night, perfecting the locator spell. "I need to rest for an hour and then I'll begin. It could take days."  
Theodyn looks up in distress and Razum-dar shakes his head. "It will take as long as it takes, Theodyn," Razum-dar says as he snags another sweet roll and brings it up to take a bite, he pauses however as he sees the dirty bag on a chair. He puts the roll down and prods it with a claw.  
Theodyn's mouth drops open, a half-chewed piece of sweet roll falling onto the floor. Softly-Speckled-Crab tisks at him for wasting bread. "I am so stupid," Theodyn breaths. "I am so sorry, Razum-dar. An Evermore guard gave it to me as we were heading back. They think it belongs to Viperish Night."  
"It is fine," Razum-dar says. "Yesterday was a long day for all of us."  
"Every day is long," Rufico says as Softly-Speckled-Crab opens the bag, removing books to place them on a table, save for one she takes for herself.  
Razum-dar's eyes dart over the books. "Necromancy, necromancy, more necromancy," he says. "Oh, what's this?" he says as he picks up a book rent with claw marks. "Mystic relics...this one seems important," Razum-dar says as he settles in a chair to read.  
Iveryni finishes her sweet roll and lies down in a corner and is soon fast asleep.  
Theodyn stares at the necromancer books. "We should not read these," he says softly. "They are forbidden."  
Rufico shrugs and pulls one of the books over to him. "I have no idea how magic works, and I don't want to know," Rufico says. "They can't hurt me with their evil evil ideas."  
Theodyn touches the bag. It's dirty and covered in blood. "Why did Viperish Night leave you behind?" he muses. "What was he after in Bangkorai?"  
Razum-dar goes utterly still. "Oh dear," he says. Rufico and Theodyn look toward him, though Softly-Speckled-Crab is oblivious, lost in her sweet rolls and the journal she snagged. Razum-dar passes the book to Theodyn and Rufico who's eyes skim over what Razum-dar has found.  
"This cannot possibly exist," Rufico says.  
"You would be amazed by some of the things the mage guild finds," Theodyn says, brow furrowed. "Things that no one should have, that could cause so much havoc. The mage guild keeps them from those who would abuse them."  
"It says the original scroll was in Craglorn." Rufico looks up and sighs. "Does that mean we are going to Craglorn now? Before Viperish Night steals this thing..."  
Theodyn rises. "It does not say where in Craglorn. Or even IF the relic is there. I'll gather books on Craglorn though." he stands and looks back at Razum-dar, eyes frightened. "We cannot let Viperish Night find this band." he turns to the entrance and walks out.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab looks up from her book, her eyes focusing on Rufico. "Not yet." she chides. "Craglorn will be a turning point. The path between two rivers. All of us need to be there."  
Razum-dar regards Softly-Speckled-Crab carefully. "This lovely lady from your dreams tells you things?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab nods, her eyes wide. "Yes. She shows me things. It's not always easy to..." Softly-Speckled-Crab pauses and takes a frustrated bite of sweet roll. "I do not understand yet!" she says. "My mind needs to be open, to be what I need to become." she looks at Razum-dar and Rufico seriously. "We all have to become," she says.  
"Hmmm..." Razum-dar says, stroking his chin with a claw. "Things that have not happened yet, dreams. This one wonders if Azura has chosen to contact you about this. She is the one to give us the prophecy." Razum-dar sighs. "This one hates prophecy."  
Rufico looks a little confused. "So we all have to be together, become, and then we go to Craglorn?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab is still, she even puts the sweet roll down as she tries to put her thoughts in words. "Two paths," she says slowly. "We can stop Viperish Night in Craglorn, then and there, and then there is no need to become. But if we fail..." Softly-Speckled-Crab motions with her hands, having trouble putting her thoughts into words the others will understand. "Darkness, death." she finally says. "And then we must become, or all is lost."  
"Then Razum-dar says it's better to stop Viperish Night in Craglorn," Razum-dar says. "It's decided, that is what we shall do! This one says it will be easy. We have all of you, we'll have the Vestige, and of course Razum-dar!"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab frowns slightly but says nothing more just resumes munching on her remaining sweet roll. The images the lovely lady shows her. What could be, possibilities Softly-Speckled-Crab's mind cannot truly process. And there is something that she should see, but cannot, perhaps not meant to see. The turning point... something about it. Shivers run down Softly-Speckled-Crab's spine.  
Iveryni wakes a short time later, taking time to eat some food and drink before she moves to the corner, sitting cross-legged. Iveryni closes her eyes and spreads her hands before her. She chants a spell and a glowing white orb appears between her two hands. It shines with intense light for a few seconds before dimming. "Half here, half there," Iveryni says. "I can see Mehrunes Dagon's realm, in a fashion. I will find the Vestige. It will take time and I must not be detected, so do not disturb me. No matter how much time passes."  
"Let's hope Dagon does not notice this then," Razum-dar says and goes back to reading, Theodyn had brought books on Craglorn and all that's left to do is wait.

-Bangkorai-  
Viperish Night faces the sun as it rises into the sky. He has been here for hours, eyes closed as the desert heats up. His former mentor thinks him mad but also fears him now. He had told Viperish Night so much more than ever, though if any half-truths or lies were tangled in the mess...no matter. He would find out. Viperish Night raises his head to the sun and smiles. He will find his former mentor someday, though he too, seemed almost like a pawn in all this. Stalks-In-Darkness...had many truths and most lay hidden under the river. Perhaps she could tell him more...if Stalks-In-Darkness was her bonded mate, or if she just gave him her eggs for reasons he could not fathom. What kind of Egg-mother would do that? Viperish Night hisses in confusion. He would ask her the truth of it! Ask her...before he killed her for her roll in this. Egg-mothers should protect their eggs, watch over them, help raise them with the tribe when they hatch. Not abandon them, or give them to a monster, or whatever it is she felt compelled to do! Viperish Night takes a deep breath, calming the anger that swirls up and down his spine. His hand clutches at the amulet. No more putting this off, he had to find her and look in her eyes...ask her why before he crushed the life from her. His eyes snap open as the portal forms and he stalks through it.

-Location - ??? -  
Hours searching for her. Avoiding being seen, following the amulet. The closer he got to her, the brighter it glowed. And soon it led him to a tower. He looks up at its three-story height, before he enters through the door-less entry. The structure is made of heavy stone walls and a winding staircase leads up. There are no windows on the ground floor, but he can see light trickling in from the second and third stories. It is deserted and devoid of furnishings, perhaps not fully built.  
Viperish Night's eyes dart around searching. The amulet led him here, so where was she? A sound from behind a pile of metal and a figure walks out and starts when they see Viperish Night standing in front of the entrance. Viperish Night holds up the amulet, it flashes brightly before dying down and he once more puts it around his neck. He stares at her. She's clad in full armor and not a scale can be seen. The shadow of the helm cloaks her face and eyes in shadows. She has a large sword in one hand and she too stares at him.  
Viperish Night hisses softly, and then bends down, laying his staff upon the ground before shrugging out of his robe and rising. After he has his answers...he would much prefer to kill her with his blades or claws rather than with the dead. Viperish Night stalks toward her and she raises her sword. Viperish Night's hands reach for his twin Redguard blades and he turns and starts to circle her.  
She follows his every movement, not letting her guard down for even a moment. "What do you want?" she asks.  
Viperish Night's breath catches in his throat. Her voice..the only time he has ever heard it. "You." Viperish Night rasps. "Answers."  
She turns with him, never presenting her back. She holds the sword as if she's very familiar with it. A warrior then. She knew how to defend herself, how to fight. "I don't know you," she says, "How do you know me?"  
"Of course you do not know me. You never wanted to know me," Viperish Night hisses, fury in his voice but also a jagged ting of sorrow.  
"What?" she says confused.  
"Tell me your eggs were stolen." Viperish Night says. "Tell me you thought them lost, absorbed by the Hist, something that would make sense of this!" Viperish Night stops circling to face her, anger radiating from him. He tries to control it, tries to remain some semblance of calm, but it is nearly impossible.  
She lowers the sword slightly. "I never had eggs," she says finally after a long pause. "You have the wrong person."  
Does he? Viperish Night tilts his head regarding her. Is she lying? She paused for far too long before answering him. But his thoughts are also on his former mentor's words. Viperish Night lowers his swords and his head, closing his eyes. She does not move to attack him, just stands there wary. Waiting for him.  
Viperish Night knows how to be sure. He craved answers, had been on the search for all of them since leaving the island. He had resolved not to take another's words for his answers, but to find ways to make sure the answers he received were truth and not lies. And so, in between everything else Viperish Night had been thinking of a way to test Stalks-In-Darkness...to see if he was his Egg-Father or just a monster who somehow got his claws on eggs. And as luck would have it, Viperish Night had stumbled across a spell in one of the necromancy books. Blood was used to strengthen necromancy, blood was life and he found a way in that book to tell if blood called to blood. A simple spell, simple ingredients including Viperish Night's blood. He had been carrying it around in his pants pocket since making it, waiting for the day he would find Stalks-In-Darkness and make him bleed. He had only one, had been saving it, but he cannot trust his former mentor's words. He just needs one final ingredient to test it, and so his eyes narrow as he stares at her.  
Viperish Night suddenly bolts forward, his right blade striking at her. She quickly raises her sword blocking it. Viperish Night whirls, both of his blades flying in lighting slashes and she fights back, so very fast. But he too is so very fast. When she blocks a strike from his right blade, his eyes narrow as he beholds the smallest slivers between helm and armor. His left blade slices out, opening a shallow cut in her neck. Her attack intensifies and Viperish Night snarls and leaps back. "Enough!" he snarls lowering his swords. She stands wary, sword clutched in both hands. She has stopped, but that could change at any moment. He can tell she's angry now.  
Viperish Night slowly sheaths his right blade and takes out the vial, his claw opening it. Holding his left blade over it, her blood drips into the vile concoction. The liquid swirls and turns a bright orange color. Viperish Night snarls and tosses it onto the ground where it shatters. Blood called to blood. There could be no denying it now. His vision blurs as the anger threatens to wash over him and he looks at her with a murderous glare. "Why did you abandon your eggs?" he snarls. "The truth this time! Do you even KNOW the fate of your other eggs? They all failed. I am the only one that hatched!"  
She slowly backs away, her sword still raised. "I told you, you have the wrong person," she says angrily.  
"Lier," Viperish Night says. "Deny it all you want, lie about it all you want, but I see the truth. You never wanted me. You gave me to a monster!" he steps closer to her. "Is Stalks-In-Darkness your bonded mate?" he demands.  
"I don't know who that is!" she snaps. "You're insane!"  
Viperish Night withdraws his sword again, his hands shaking as he holds them both. He was not sure what to expect when he found her, but flat out lies were not it. His heart pounds and he howls and charges at her. Her sword comes up and the clash of blades is once more heard in the tower. Viperish Night's fury is overwhelming and his strikes that are not blocked rend deep scratches in her armor. Her sword clips him at times, shallow cuts he ignores. She dances backward from his next strike, up the stairs. Viperish Night follows, ignoring the height disadvantage, the long reach of her sword to his. He will not relent. As she gets to the second floor he leaps his swords slamming down at her. Her sword comes up, slamming into his blades and with her other hand she grabs his arm and throws him deeper into the second floor, and he crashes to the floor, his swords flying out of reach. "Stop this!" she snarls at him.  
Viperish Night looks up at her, his breath ragged. She's stronger than he expected. He hisses and once more charges at her and she swears as she swings the sword at him. He grabs it with his left hand, ignoring the pain as it cuts into his palm. Surprised she hesitates briefly, allowing him to rip the sword from her grip. He throws it, it crashes down the stairs to the lower floor. She snarls and then charges him and the two crash to the ground, rolling across the floor until they hit the wall nearest to the windows. She leaps up the same moment he does and slams her armored fist into his head, dropping him stunned to the ground. "Enough!" she snaps.  
Viperish Night lies on the ground, heart beating as he slowly calms his anger. And so when he opens his eyes all she sees in them is surrender. He's good at showing that, even when his intentions are anything but. She is still now, but why? Her gaze...she was looking at his back. At the scars still visible to this day. "Taught by a monster." he hisses. "Sold into slavery. I see the world as it is. The living are mad."  
"I think so are you," she says cautiously.  
Viperish Night sits up. "People keep telling me that." Viperish Night says. She thinks him mad now, thinks he has given up. His eyes narrow slightly. "You will pay for abandoning me, Egg-Mother!" he suddenly snaps and surges up, surprising her. His claws arc up and he feels them catch on the edge of the helm as the force from his attack rips the helm off, his claws ripping into the flesh underneath. She flies out the window and crashes to the ground below. Viperish Night stalks to the window, blood dripping from his claws. He leaps down and lands gracefully on the ground. She's lying on the ground, but she's still breathing. Unconscious but slowly starting to stir. He slowly walks to her and for the first time, his eyes gaze on her face, his thoughts snapping back to the Viridian Woods.

~/~  
Viperish Night's claws are at Wyress Asteria's throat. Her eyes, such fury fills them as she finally speaks. "I was not sure at first. But when I and my sisters purified your blood from the Hagravens corruption...I knew the truth then, as impossible as it was." Wyress Asteria looks into Viperish Night's eyes. "You, Viperish Night, are not fully Argonian. You have Mer blood within you."  
~/~

Skin instead of scales, long pointed ears. A tangled dirty mess of hair a startling shade of magenta. Small graceful antlers that some Bosmer have and an old jagged scar on her face. Bloody rends from his claws up her neck and side of her face. Her eyes slowly open and it's all Viperish Night can do not to startle. Her eyes are so very pale, nearly white. Nearly the same color as his. Those eyes fill with anger and a golden light starts to build within them. Viperish Night steps backward. He has seen that before.  
"You're insane," she growls as she slowly rises, her armor cracked and broken in spots. "Last chance, before I tear your head off!"  
He had been searching for her for hours. He knew the dead vanished under the endless rivers of lava in this place leaving no trace of the dead. The volcanic rocky ground is hot beneath his feet and the sky is crimson and orange streaked with dark ashy clouds. His eyes lock onto hers. "You will pay, Egg-Mother." Viperish Night says. "The living always disappoint. Always cause me such pain. I somehow knew...you would be no different." a flash of pain in his eyes before icy darkness fills him. He needs the dead, but there is no dead here. But he needs them, and somehow his will is enough. The amulet around his neck glows and a portal opens and after a few moments a horde of skeleton Khajiit and skeleton Senche-raht surge out surrounding Viperish Night. The portal snaps shut.  
"You're a necromancer," she says with a growl.  
Viperish Night stares into those pale eyes of hers as they shimmer between crystal clear and the golden glow of a monster. Of course, she would be a monster too...How else could she do what she did and lie about it even when the truth was right in front of her? Viperish Night thinks of the last thing his former mentor told him, a name. "Yes, Jeziasi." he softly says. "I will free you from your madness... Egg-Mother." The skeleton Khajiit and Senche-raht roar, echoing Viperish Night's rage and hurt and surge forward toward Jeziasi.  
"Crazy damn Necromancer," Jeziasi snarls as her body ripples and changes, the monster overtaking the mer until a brown and grey werewolf is standing before the horde and Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night looks up at the werewolf snarling softly. She too has betrayed him, hurt him. He told her he expected it, but... part of him hoped it would be different than this. Foolish thoughts. His eyes fill with utter darkness as the undead swirl around him. "Rip her apart, Slowly, painfully, kill her," he orders them.  
The skeleton Khajiit and Senche-raht surge forward on his command, roaring in ice and rage. So very many came at his call, there must be at least thirty. That should be more than enough to take down a werewolf. Viperish Night thinks as snarls.  
Jeziasi slams into the first wave of Khajiit skeletons sending them flying. Her claws rend the head from another that leaps at her and then her jaws snap down on a Senche-Raht that leaps at her from another direction. The Khajiit skeletons swarm her en mass, their claws rend into werewolf fur and flesh. Blood soon mats her fur and she howls and drops on all fours and leaps into the horde, rending many of the Khajiit skeletons asunder. The Senche-Raht close in next and they leap at her from all sides, their claws rending flesh, their fangs sinking into her. Soon she's utterly buried in them, but it does not last long. With a mighty roar Jeziasi surges up in a whirlwind of rending jaws and mighty slashes and she tears the Senche-Raht into pieces, the bones clattering on the ground in all directions. The remainder of the Khajiit converge on her, one of them sinks their claws deep into her side and she growls in pain before swinging her claws to send its skull flying and the remainder of the bones crashing to the ground. Her eyes are furious as she takes on the rest, a flurry of snarling and snapping.  
The last of the Khajiit skeletons fall and Jeziasi's golden eyes lock onto Viperish Night, filled with rage, confusion, and pain. She starts toward him, blood pouring down from the many wounds inflicted upon her, yet she still stalks forward, murder in her eyes. Viperish Night hisses softly, but before she can reach him she throws her snout back and utters a choking painful howl. She falls backward, the fur and claws melting away to leave only the Bosmer behind. She briefly struggles to rise again, before falling unconscious, and fully at Viperish Night's mercy. Viperish Night stalks toward her, his claws clenching. He will strike the final blow himself. He hopes she wakes, so the last thing she sees is his eyes, and that there is no mercy for her in them. 

-Elden Root-  
Iveryni's eyes are still closed, she still searches. She has been so still for so many hours it startles the others when she suddenly jerks. "Something is wrong." she gasps. "Something is causing chaos, at this rate, Mehrunes Dagon will become aware of it. GET a portal mage, NOW!" she snaps. "I am close but I can no longer see. I can still find her though!"  
Theodyn bolts right up, the book he was reading falling to the floor, and races out of the room to find a mage who can open portals.  
"No, no, no!" Iveryni says. "She...something is very wrong. I need to bring her now. But I cannot open portals!" she shudders, eyes clenched shut tightly, struggling to see what is going on, but she no longer can. All she knows is Jeziasi will die if she is not pulled out of Oblivion right now.  
_"You are in need of assistance, Dunmer. I can show you."_  
Iveryni freezes as a voice echoes in her head. "Yes. Show me how. Before it is too late." she says.  
_"Look with your magic, feel with it. Now... Now open the portal!"_  
Iveryni's eyes bolt right open as her magic surges, this, this is what she had been missing. A portal rips open in midair.

-Deadlands-  
Viperish Night has nearly reached Jeziasi when a portal forms beneath her. "No!" Viperish Night snaps and leaps forward only to have something throw him back as the portal consumes Jeziasi and snaps shut. Viperish Night stands, eyes filled with fury. A Daedra stands before him, a staff gripped in his hands. "Leave this realm, or be destroyed." The Daedra orders him. Viperish Night tenses, ready to spring forward and rend him into bloody ribbons, but the sound of armored footsteps pauses him and he looks around. Surrounded. His claws go to his amulet, surprised to find it's already recharged. Viperish Night opens a portal and stalks through it. 

-Elden Root-  
Jeziasi falls through the portal and lands on the ground with a crash. Iveryni's eyes roll back and she collapses backward onto the floor. Softly-Speckled-Crab grabs her bag and dashes to Jeziasi, kneeling by her side. Razum-dar's eyes widen and then he narrows them and turns to Rufico. "Damn it. Rufico, do not let anyone in her save for Theodyn!" he snaps.  
"What, why?" Rufico says.  
Razum-dar growls. "The last thing we need is everyone seeing the Vestige in Daedric Armor! Now go!" Rufico dashes for the door, slamming it closed on his way out. Razum-dar's eyes dart between Jeziasi and Iveryni, but Softly-Speckled-Crab is by Jeziasi's side so he moves to Iveryni, who's weakly trying to get up.  
"Someone...told me how," Iveryni says as Razum-dar helps her sit up. "It, along with the locator spell depleted my magic. I cannot help her."  
"Rest. This one thinks Softly-Speckled-Crab has it in hand." Razum-dar says and moves to her and Jeziasi.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab is pulling the ruined armor off of Jeziasi, setting the blood-soaked armor to the side. "Help," she orders Razum-dar. Soon the two have the armor off and Softly-Speckled-Crab attends to her.  
Theodyn walks in alone and stops dead, swallowing hard. "She..." he softly says, looking sick. "How can she survive this?"  
Razum-dar looks sharply at Theodyn. "Jeziasi is resilient. Though this one wants to know how she got in such a state."  
"Broken ribs." Softly-Speckled-Crab mummers. "Injuring inside. Lacerations here, here...all over. Punctures, and bite marks. Softly-Speckled-Crab looks at Razum-dar. "We need to take her to the infirmary as soon as I secure the broken ribs." Softly-Speckled-Crab holds out a clawed hand. "Shirt," she commands.  
Razum-dar pushes Theodyn forward. "You heard the lady," Razum-dar says. "She requires your shirt. A small sacrifice, yes?"  
Theodyn furiously blushes as he shucks off his shirt and hands it to Softly-Speckled-Crab. Softly-Speckled-Crab rips it into shreds to bind Jeziasi's ribs.  
"Why not your shirt?" Theodyn says, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"If this one went around shirtless, the ladies would swoon," Razum-dar says. "Many unconscious mer, very bad." Razum-dar's eyes move back to Jeziasi, worry filling them.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab rises. "She can be moved now," she says.  
Razum-dar moves to Jeziasi's side and gently picks her up in his arms. "She would hate being carried like this," Razum-dar says. He looks at Iveryni who shakes her head.  
"I just need rest. Take care of her." Iveryni says.  
"Very well. Theodyn, hide the armor." Razum-dar says as he and Softly-Speckled-Crab walk out with Jeziasi.  
Theodyn gathers the armor up and puts it in a discarded box. "I'll take this to my room. I...need a shirt anyway." he blushes again and walks out the door.  
Iveryni glances around concern in her eyes. Concern for the Vestige, for their mission. But also concern for something...else. Iveryni closes her eyes. "Who are you?" she whispers. It had been a male voice in her head. Commanding. He had shown her how to master portals in a single instant, a skill she had not mastered in all this time trying to learn how. There is, however, no reply.


	43. Act 3 - Depths of the Past

-Elden Root Infirmary-  
Razum-dar paces in the infirmary as Softly-Speckled-Crab treats Jeziasi. All the other healing mages have been sent away. Softly-Speckled-Crab knows what she is doing, her healing skills are beyond her years. And there is Jeziasi's secret to be considered, though he doubts she will be able to hide it much longer. Softly-Speckled-Crab finishes and walks over to Razum-dar. "She will sleep and recover," Softly-Speckled-Crab says softly, placing her claws on Razum-dar's arm. "I can feel her healing faster than she should," she adds. At Razum-dar's expression, she shakes her head. "I will not speak of it... but the others will notice too. She has something...wild inside of her."  
"She should not." Razum-dar growls. "This one has never been able to make sense of some of her choices."  
"Some of us may have to make similar choices if we fail at Craglorn." Softly-Speckled-Crab warns," she starts to gently push Razum-dar toward the entrance. "I will stay with her until she wakes."  
Razum-dar turns his head to regard the sleeping Jeziasi, he has rarely ever seen her so still. Softly-Speckled-Crab follows his gaze. "You...love her, don't you?" she asks.  
Razum-dar starts. "What? That is a strange thing to ask this one!" he says. Softly-Speckled-Crab just looks at him, blinking her eyes. "Jeziasi is a wild thing." Razum-dar huffs. "She is not one that can be caught, and this one is the Queen's Eye, and that responsibility is this one's purpose." Razum-dar turns his head and walks out, Softly-Speckled-Crab watching him go. "He ran away without answering," she says to herself before moving back to Jeziasi's side.

Softly-Speckled-Crab sleeps on the floor near Jeziasi's side that night, so when Jeziasi starts to move Softly-Speckled-Crab is up in an instant and by her side. "Still," she says. It is far too soon for her to wake and be moving. What was damaged inside needs more time.  
Jeziasi's eyes bolt right open and her gaze sweeps the room. "Teeth in the shadows," she says. "It's too dark." Jeziasi struggles to rise and Softly-Speckled-Crab pushes her gently down. "  
"You must not get up yet," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Wait a moment." Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to light the lanterns, having turned most of them off when night fell and brings one over to Jeziasi's bedside. "No more darkness," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Now rest." Jeziasi's eyes gaze into Softly-Speckled-Crab's before fluttering shut once more. Softly-Speckled-Crab stands there for a few moments before returning to her nest on the floor.

It's a few days before Jeziasi wakes and Softly-Speckled-Crab stays with her the whole time and on the last day, she places her arm on Jeziasi's and then turns her head to see Razum-dar enter. He has been to see Jeziasi each day until Softly-Speckled-Crab pushes him out. "She wakes," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Her sleep has been uneasy, but deep enough to heal."  
"Uneasy?" Razum-dar asks.  
"Mortal minds are not meant to exist in Oblivion, even a short time would break lesser minds," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Her mind is strong, and part of her...may belong there in a fashion. Still."  
A worried expression crosses Razum-dar's face. The length of time Jeziasi has been in Oblivion has been three years, and that was just Nirn time. Jeziasi's eyes flicker open and start darting around in panic at the unfamiliar surroundings. Razum-dar quickly moves to her side. "Be at peace, my old friend. You are home," Razum-dar says.  
Jeziasi's eyes calm slightly and she sits up, wincing slightly as her hand moves to her side. "Your ribs will be tender for a while more. I will fetch bread and we will all gather in the meeting room." Softly-Speckled-Crab says, and she turns and walks out, leaving Jeziasi and Razum-dar alone.  
Jeziasi looks around and then up at Razum-dar. "Elden Root? How in..." she trails off looking confused. The last thing she remembers is that crazy necromancer trying to kill her. She had taken out the horde of undead, only to have a searing pain shoot through her...and after that, it was just blackness.  
"Yes, Jeziasi. And it is a long story and not just this ones to tell." Razum-dar explains. "Razum-dar will leave you to dress. This one will wait in the hall." He turns to go and then glances back. "You worried this one," he says and then walks out.  
Jeziasi rises and glances at the table. Simple clothes, but at least they are clean. "...Home." she quietly says as she gathers the clothes and washes up in a bowl of water near the back and changes. After she's dressed she looks around again. This...is not home. It had not been since the wars. It was the first time she had been back in Valenwood since then...it seemed like a lifetime ago now. It was strange to be back... though she was not sure how she was pulled out of the Deadlands after that insane necromancer tried to kill her. Jeziasi turns to the entrance and walks out.

Jeziasi walks with Razum-dar down the corridor. "This one must ask, Jeziasi, what were you doing in Oblivion?" Razum-dar says, perplexed. "And wearing Daedric armor, none the less."  
Jeziasi glances at Razum-dar, it was strange seeing him again. The last time she had seen him had been in Summerset, and the way they parted...she was not sure she would ever see him again. Was not sure she would ever return to Valenwood. "Clavicus Vile." Jeziasi answers. "He came to my house a few weeks after Summerset. Called in the bargain I made with him," confusion crossing her face. "I never understood why what he wanted of me was to visit his realm and other Oblivion realms should I choose it. Barbas even taught me how to find the weak spots between the realms, so I could travel between them. Jeziasi pauses. "He even said I could return to Nirn whenever I wished, there are weak spots that lead to it, as well. As for armor, there are no stores in Oblivion. I scavenged what I could when I needed to."  
"That is puzzling," Razum-dar says tightly and then suddenly speeds up and moves in front of Jeziasi, who halts puzzled. Razum-dar looks around and no one is anywhere near the two of them. "If you could return when you wished, why did you not? This one does not understand," Razum-dar asks.  
A look of pain crosses Jeziasi's face. "I...I am not sure, Raz. After what happened in Summerset and Shadowfen...I felt lost. so...I never even tried to find a path to Nirn. I just..." she trails off.  
Razum-dar starts to ask about Shadowfen, but then he remembers what Tends-To-Tree's mentioned and he brushes it aside, for now, to focus on the current matter. "Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. "You have been gone for three years. Do you even know this?"  
Jeziasi pales slightly. "It's impossible to tell time there, Raz. Day and night are all but meanless. Some realms are eternally night, some something else altogether. I could have been gone for three years, but it could have been longer. I truly do not know, my friend."  
"Just how many realms have you been in?" Razum-dar asks. His expression turns serious. "And..."  
Jeziasi looks Razum-dar in the eyes. "You want to know if I had any dealings with the Prince's, did anything I should not have?" she says angrily.  
"Yes, Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. "This one is asking that. Or did you forget what Razum-dar is?"  
"I could never forget!" Jeziasi snaps. "You reminded me of that in Summerset. You were very clear about it."  
"Razum-dar had no choice!" Razum-dar says. "Your decisions after the wars are questionable! And you cannot tell this one there is no blood on your hands from those decisions."  
Jeziasi looks down then back up at Razum-dar. "I did what I felt was right for me, and what I felt I had to," she says. Taking a deep breath, she continues. "The only Prince's I had contact with was Clavicus Vile and briefly Mephala. I made no further deals or anything of that nature."  
"You must have done something, Jeziasi," Razum-dar growls. "Meridia is quite angry with you."  
"I know that," Jeziasi says. "And I have no idea why. If it is because of the deal I made with Vile, something that happened in Summerset or..." she trails off.  
"Or because you, the Vestige who wars against Daedric Princes, made a pact with Hircine?" Razum-dar says, his eyes narrowed.  
"I have my reasons for that!" Jeziasi says. "I do not regret it, Raz."  
Razum-dar moves closer to Jeziasi. "This one searched for you because we need you. Razum-dar learned some interesting things that even he did not know, my old friend, from that search." His eyes lock onto Jeziasi. "You lost control in Vvardenfell. Do you even know the Telvanni tried to order a write of execution order on you? Do you even care?"  
Jeziasi stares at her friend at an utter loss of words. She struggles for a few moments before finally speaking. "I know I was losing control. I...did not know the Telvanni knew about it."  
"How could you not suspect at least? Razum-dar says. "Vivec knows too! Only because you saved him and Vvardenfell is he willing to disregard the Telvanni. Though he does not want you setting foot back there, ever again."  
"Then it worked out," Jeziasi says. "I got control after Vvardenfell. Problem solved."  
Razum-dar growls. "Got control by... Jeziasi how on Nirn did you think joining the Dark Brotherhood was an acceptable way to regain control?"  
"Because they have control over their murderous desires," Jeziasi says. "Seemed like my only option at the time. I had to stop the Court but my control was near nonexistent."  
Razum-dar's eyes regard Jeziasi. "You never once thought of returning home and asking old friends for help? For this one's help?" he asks. Razum-dar would have helped you, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi looks at Razum-dar silently.  
"No, this one did not think so," Razum-dar says angrily. "Razum-dar has always been your friend and ally, but you would not ever come to this one for help. Only once have you let me help you, Jeziasi. Is that kind of help the only one this one is good for?"  
"That's...that's not true," Jeziasi says. "I am just..."  
"A lone wolf." Razum-dar finishes. "Come, Jeziasi. The others are waiting. It's time to meet them." Razum-dar turns with a growl and stalks off toward the meeting room.  
Jeziasi stares after Razum-dar. He is so...angry at her. Confusion crosses her face. He never mentioned any of this in Summerset, and Summerset had been the first time she had seen him since the wars. The last thing he had said to her was not to hunt in Dominion territory. Jeziasi sighs and follows after Razum-dar.

Jeziasi walks into the meeting room and leans against the wall her eyes darting to each person in it in turn. "Jeziasi," Razum-dar says frostily. "You have already met Softly-Spoken-Crab. The rest are Theodyn, Rufico, and Iveryni," he points to each of them in turn. "Iveryni is the one you owe for bringing you out of Oblivion."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab is laying on her belly on the floor, munching on bread. Iveryni is sitting by the table, Theodyn is looking at Jeziasi with wide eyes, and Rufico is munching on bread looking unconcerned.  
"Someone helped with the portal," Iveryni says. "I had not mastered such yet, though I now have."  
"Thanks," Jeziasi said. "What is this all about?"  
Iveryni frowns. "Razum-dar did not explain it, yet?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab rises and snags a piece of paper from the table and hands it to Jeziasi who reads it. "Azura? It is not the first time she has helped. Vvardenfell..." she hands it back. "So we save Nirn and stop the bad guys." Jeziasi shrugs.  
"You make it sounds so simple," Razum-dar says. "This one knows you know it is not so simple."  
"Can I point out you almost died?" Rufico asks. "What?" he says when Theodyn glares at him. "It's a valid point."  
Razum-dar growls. "This one forgot to ask about that."  
Iveryni raises an eyebrow. "I must wonder what was so much more important to talk to her about then all of this, and that little fact."  
Jeziasi runs a hand through her hair. "This insane Argonian necromancer appeared in the Deadlands accusing me of the craziest and impossible things, and when I denied them, he tried to murder me."  
Everyone in the room freezes. Theodyn is the first one to move, he walks to the table and picks up a sketch to bring to Jeziasi. "Is this the necromancer, Vestige?"  
Jeziasi gives Theodyn a look. "Please don't call me that," she says and then looks at the sketch. "Yes, this is the one that attacked me. He's the threat?"  
"His name is Viperish Night," Iveryni says. "Using necromancy, he murdered every living thing on an island. And I do mean every living thing," a haunted look crosses her face. "I saw the aftermath with my own eyes. Nothing will ever live on that island again. It is cursed with the darkest of magic." she pauses. "That island should not have existed. It was outside pact territory...they kept slaves there." Jeziasi's eyes flash with fury and she softly growls. "That is right, it is a sour spot with you, considering you slaughtered and devoured Dumner slavers across Vvardenfell."  
Jeziasi's eyes widen and she furiously looks at Razum-dar, who shrugs. "A very lovely Dunmer woman with short hair told us that. She seemed angry at you. Razum-dar knows you know what lovely Dunmer that would be."  
Jeziasi swallows softly. "She is still..." Jeziasi looks lost then shakes her head. "It's in the past and not relevant now."  
Razum-dar snorts. "You are making many many people angry, Jeziasi."  
Theodyn looks back and forth between Jeziasi and Razum-dar. "To get back on topic," he says quietly. "Impossible things?"  
Jeziasi looks confused. "Perhaps I should just tell Razum-dar."  
"No, Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. "If it concerns Viperish Night, it is for all of us. You are going to have to learn to rely on all of us."  
Jeziasi looks away, hiding the sadness in her eyes. When she relies on others to help save Nirn, they tend to die. She breaths softly and brings her thoughts back to the now. "It is utter madness, what he accused me of," Jeziasi says. "He accused me of abandoning him or giving his egg to a monster. He claimed I was his Egg-mother."  
Everyone just stares at Jeziasi. "What in Oblivion?" Rufico utters. "We all know Viperish Night has a few screws loose, but that's just..."  
"I know," Jeziasi says. "Not only do Bosmer not lay eggs, but I would know if I ever had any children. And he was close to my age as well, so...he is utterly mad."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab gets a strange look in her eyes and she walks to the table and picks up the journal and starts to flip through it before moving to Jeziasi and handing it to her. Jeziasi reads it and frowns. "I remember this. during the Court of Bedlam's attacks on Summerset the Psijic mages were also dealing with...what was it? Something to do with a staff and time portals."  
"Very little is truly impossible," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"This IS." Jeziasi snaps and walks to the table slamming the book down. She glances at the books and papers and suddenly freezes.  
"Jeziasi, what is it?" Razum-dar asks.  
Jeziasi picks up another sketch, hands shaking. She looks at it, eyes blinking rapidly. Iveryni moves to her to see what has her rapt attention. "That is an Argonian from a memory fragment Viperish Night was accessing," Iveryni says. "We know now his name is Stalks-In-Darkness and he is a former Dark Brotherhood member who went rogue before vanishing over four years ago."  
Jeziasi swallows tries to speak and swallows again. "He told me his name was Swims-in-Silence," she says softly.  
Razum-dar moves to Jeziasi. "Your grounds-keeper said you went off with an Argonian for a awhile before vanishing. This is him, you are certain?"  
Jeziasi nods a shocked look in her eyes. "He...asked me to hunt with him after Vvardenfell, but I declined. Then he came back after Summerset and I felt...lost so I went with him then. I thought it would get my mind off what happened."  
Theodyn looks confused. "Why would he lie about his name if all he wanted was to hunt with you?" he asks.  
Jeziasi glances at Theodyn, the tips of her ears darkening. "We did more than hunt. But Bosmer and Argonian's cannot... Also, Argonian's bond before they have eggs. So again, impossible."  
"And Yet..."  
Everyone's head turns as the door opens and a Breton woman walks in. Jeziasi's gaze moves across her. "Your one of the Wyrd," she says. "From Valenwood?"  
"It is Viridian Woods in Bangkorai that my Wyrd calls home," she says. Her eyes narrow. "I am Wyress Asteria, and we share a common enemy."  
"You know of Viperish Night?" Razum-dar asks.  
"Yes." Wyress Asteria says. "I knew him from years ago and called him friend. But now, now he is the Wyrds enemy. He is the enemy of all that lives."  
"And you have come here to offer your aid?" Razum-dar asks.  
Wyress Asteria is silent at first. "The woods must come first, and we have lost four of our own. I came to give you information and seek out Valenwood's sisters, and perhaps to recruit those with untapped nature magic within them. After that, I will return to the woods, but you will have the aid of the Wyrd when you need us."  
Jeziasi's eyes have been glued to Wyress Asteria, though she stays silent. Iveryni glances at Jeziasi and Wyress Asteria. "What did you mean by what you said when you came in?" Iveryni asks.  
"Viperish Night was our guest years ago. He was struck down by corruption, and when we purged it from him we found a secret..." Wyress Asteria trails off. "The woods and our sisters must come first but I am ashamed to admit we gave in to his mentor's threats. Failed to share what we learned with Viperish Night. We have paid the cost for that." her eyes glimmer with anger and pain.  
"Get to the point." Razum-dar orders.  
"Viperish Night has mer blood within him. He's part mer, even though he appears fully Argonian. His blood tells a far different story.  
"That is an impossibility," Iveryni says.  
"Yes, it is." Wyress Asteria agrees. "And yet..."  
"Are we repeating ourselves?" Softly-Speckled-Crab asks. "Very little is truly impossible," she repeats.  
Jeziasi stalks to Wyress Asteria, staring at her in the eyes. "It is impossible," she repeats. "He is mad. I would know if I had...I cannot have eggs. It's..." she growls softly her eyes flashing.  
Razum-dar is there in a moment blocking the other's view. "Razum-dar thinks you have something in your eye, old friend," he warns.  
Jeziasi looks started and she takes a deep breath. Wyress Asteria looks at her knowingly. "You may have to part with that one soon," she says, glancing around the room.  
"Better on your terms than a surprise, Jeziasi." he cautions.  
Jeziasi crosses her arms, aware of the confused looks of the others, though Iveryni seems less so. "It is..." she sighs. "Viperish Night tried to murder me. He is far stronger than I would have expected. I cannot be what he claims I am though."  
Wyress Asteria holds out her hand. "Your blood then," she asks. "Respectfully asked for.  
Jeziasi's arms remain crossed. "Jeziasi, don't be so stubborn," Razum-dar says.  
"The evidence is in front of us. You know this." Iveryni says. "Stalks-In-Darkness, time rips, what more do you need?"  
Jeziasi looks a little lost but at last, she holds out her hand to Wyress Asteria. Wyress Asteria takes out a knife, making a shallow cut down the side of Jeziasi's hand. The blade glows as Wyress Asteria focuses. Finally, she cleans the blade and sheets it. "It is your blood that runs through Viperish Night." Wyress Asteria announces. "He is yours, however it is possible.  
Jeziasi steps back slightly, looking very unsettled. "This makes no sense," she softly growls. "Why?"  
"Seek the one that should not be," Softly-Speckled-Crab says, quoting part of the prophecy. "This is why. His creation is impossible, but somehow still true."  
"I must depart." Wyress Asteria says. "There is too much to do and little time in which to do it. Viperish Night will wage war against us all. I will be in Valenwood for a few days, should you need me." She turns and walks out.  
"This is too strange," Rufico says. "Is it too late to go back to being a horrible thief?" Theodyn glares at him. "Just kidding!"  
Jeziasi starts to pace confusion warring with anger across her face as she struggles to keep control.  
"V...Jeziasi." Iveryni says. Jeziasi stops to face her. "This Swims-In-Silence..."  
"No!" Jeziasi interrupts her. "He never told me he was a shadowscale. Never told me he gave me a fake name. Never told me he..." she trails off. "this makes no sense!"  
"Life and death magic." Softly-Speckled-Crab muses and looks at Jeziasi.  
Jeziasi furrows her brow trying to think. "I...think I remember my mom talking about the Wyrd once. How she had almost become one with them until she met my father. But I never..." she traces her sides and frowns as her fingers met nothing but cloth. "I lost my daggers so long ago. In the dark." she sighs. "I went the path of the warrior, not anything else. If I could have done anything else...I am not sure."  
Iveryni thinks. "Jeziasi, what did Swims-in-Silence say when he came for you?"  
"Just what I said," Jeziasi said.  
"I mean the exact words if you remember them," Iveryni says. "Stalks-In-Darkness, or Swims-in-Silence if you prefer, seems to play a larger role in things than we thought. We need information."  
"... Hunt with me, for a while, Jeziasi." Jeziasi recites, a faraway look crossing her eyes.  
"You told him your name before he asked you, then?" Iveryni asks.  
"I...no," Jeziasi says. "I don't think so anyway. Tends-To-Trees might have told him."  
"And if she did not?" Iveryni asks.  
Razum-dar frowns. "Razum-dar does not like where this is going. You think he targeted Jeziasi?"  
Jeziasi's eyes flare and she suddenly slams a fist onto the table. "I am the hunter, NOT THE PREY." Jeziasi snarls and stalks to the door. "I am going for a run."  
"Jeziasi!" Razum-dar snaps and when Jeziasi turns to face him he walks up to her and pins her against the wall with his arms and leans in close so only she can hear his next words. "Razum-dar knows what you mean by that. This one warned you!"  
"I will not hurt anyone," Jeziasi says softly. "But I cannot stay here. I have to run or I will lose my mind," a look of panic crosses her eyes. "I may have been away from Valenwood for a long time but I know how to avoid my own people."  
Razum-dar locks eyes with Jeziasi. "Tell me you have enough control for this, and this one will let you go."  
Jeziasi pauses and takes her time answering. "Yes. But if I do not run, then that changes to no. If...I can run."  
"What does that mean?" Razum-dar asks.  
"Maybe nothing. I don't know." Jeziasi says.  
Razum-dar lowers his arms and steps back. He looks at the others. "Jeziasi, these are now your allies, the ones who will stop Viperish Night and save Nirn. This one knows you never asked for this and that no one has the right to ask you for anything more but Razum-dar is asking. Tell them now rather than later.  
Jeziasi's eyes stare into Razum-dar's then she looks at the others. Softly-Speckled-Crab sitting on the floor with so much bread...and who healed her, stayed with her even as the darkness seemed to move in. Iveryni, standing by the bookcase looking at her with intelligent and wary eyes, she who took help from an unknown source to bring her back from the Deadlands. Rufico and Theodyn standing near each other. Rufico seemed rather carefree, but his eyes were so haunted. Theodyn looking at her with a little bit of hero-worship in his eyes, but also in those eyes was depths of grief. To rely on others only to see them die... she did not want them to die to save Nirn, but they were...willing to fight this fight. She sighs softly. "I...was called." Jeziasi starts haltingly. "I could have refused, but after the war's I was lost, cold, in spiritual crisis. So I followed the call and was attacked. I did not reject...well some call it a curse, some a blessing. I would say the latter. It offered freedom." Jeziasi stops and takes a deep breath. "He offered freedom. Freedom from the chill that Coldharber left on me, freedom to hunt and be strong." she stops, taking a pause.  
"He?" Theodyn asks.  
"...Lord Hircine." Jeziasi answers.  
Theodyn's mouth falls open and he just stares at Jeziasi.  
"You're a werewolf," Rufico says and then laughs. "I would of never! The Vestige a werewolf?"  
"I suspected as much," Iveryni says. "It would be nearly impossible for a normal mortal to survive in the Deadlands, much less other realms. And your standing here before us, mere days after being nearly killed."  
"Jeziasi heals very fast," Softly-Speckled-Crab says munching on bread.  
Jeziasi looks at Razum-dar who shrugs. "Go for your run Jeziasi and return to us after, yes?" Jeziasi nods and turns heading out, with one last glance behind her. They took that better than she would have thought.

A little bit later Theodyn is reading through a small stack of Argonian lore, trying to keep his mind off of the Vestige. It was hard to imagine. he frowns as he reads. "I don't understand how this is possible," he says.  
"An Argonian and a Bosmer walk into a bar..." Rufico starts.  
Theodyn glares at him.  
"You asked," Rufico says with a shrug. He nudges the books. "Any help here?"  
"Not related to man or mer. May be part amphibian or fish, because they can endure in cold temperatures, unlike many reptiles. They usually lay eggs." Theodyn shrugs. "Argonian's are very different. And there is so much not known. Some of this is just theories."  
"It makes my head hurt," Rufico says. "This and the time displacement. Why?"  
Theodyn returns to the book he's reading, though his eyes look over the page over and over without really reading it.  
"Hey," Rufico says nudging him. "She's a person just like us. Not some mythic hero from legend. Yes, she helped save the world, but that does not make her perfect."  
"I know," Theodyn says. "But she fought against Daedric Princes. But she is..." Theodyn trails off.  
"Not all who follow Daedric Princes are evil. Caseyln was not bad for following Merida." Rufico says. "Although every single member of the Worm Cult WAS evil. It depends."  
"But..." Theodyn trails off. "She turns into a man-eating werewolf. Vvardenfell..." again he trails off.  
Rufico sighs. "I once saw in black and white like that. I think part of me still does a little. All the Imperials that followed the Worm Cult had to have been evil. Is that true? I never went back to find out." Rufico shrugs pain glimmering in his eyes. "But I know now the world is a more complicated place than that. You saw Jeziasi's reaction when slavery was brought up. She did not kill the Dunmer because she wanted to murder people and dance in their blood. She thought they were evil, and maybe she is right in a way. Dunmer are screwed up for thinking it's their right to keep slaves. But some of them are trying to change, so they cannot all be the same."  
Theodyn just stares at Rufico for a long moment. "You think a lot more deeply than I would have thought," Theodyn says.  
"Hey!" Rufico says. "Uh...please don't tell anyone that. Please. I would lose my reputation as a no-good scoundrel."  
"Your not that." Theodyn insists. "And I will try to accept this as well. We want the same thing. To end suffering and end evil. To save Nirn and those we love."

Razum-dar and Iveryni are walking around Eldan Root, the large hollow tree filled with people going about their daily business. "You seem troubled," Razum-dar says. "It is about Jeziasi?"  
"Not the only thing on my mind, Razum-dar. She is not what we expected but it makes her seem more real, then a mythic figure." Iveryni trails off looking troubled. "Someone helped me and I do not like not knowing who or why."  
"You like everything answered in a nice neat fashion." Razum-dar remarks.  
"Perhaps I do," Iveryni admits and turns to Razum-dar. "Returning back to Jeziasi, this Argonian must have targeted her, Razum-dar. If life magic means Mer or Wyrd, then if one was looking for a mer, they would go to Valenwood or Summerset. Not Shadowfen.  
"That disturbs this one greatly, Iveryni. If true, why Jeziasi in particular?" Razum-dar frowns. "Though from her reaction earlier it may be best not to bring it up again until she has settled back into Nirn a little."  
"Is she stable, Razum-dar?" Iveryni asks.  
"Jeziasi is strong. One of the strongest people this one has ever known." Razum-dar says. "Even after years in Oblivion she still has her sanity. She's just shaken. This whole thing with Viperish Night would do that to anyone."  
"It is not possible, and yet it is," Iveryni says.

Away from the others, away from Elden Root Jeziasi sheds thoughts as well as form and races through the late evening forest in her wolf form, trying not to think, trying to forget what she had learned on this day. For a time it works until blinding pain wrenches her paws out from under her and she crashes to the ground fur melting until the wolf had vanished. Jeziasi lies there on the cool forest ground before slowly sitting up. "Just...tired still." she softly says to herself. It has to be that, and nothing more. But memories of the fight with Viperish Night swirl in her mind. The same blinding pain struck her then as well. She thought it was the grievous injuries inflicted by the horde of undead. Jeziasi raises her head at the soft sound of munching grass, a doe is in front of her and she freezes her head turning toward Jeziasi. Jeziasi looks at the doe. She never really gave much thought to her natural Bosmer magic or abilities. The path to strength seemed at first with sharpened steel, and then claws and fangs. And the world had demanded such strength from her. Slowly Jeziasi holds out her hand. "Not hunting you," she says, though even in wolf form she would tend to pass the females by unless it was the only source of prey. The doe hesitates then moves to Jeziasi, allowing Jeziasi to rest her hand on the doe's head and as the doe moves closer, lowers her hand and rests her head against the doe's warm fuzzy head. "Have I...done something wrong?" she says. "Life in Oblivion was one of pure survival. I never had the time to wonder why I stayed so long..." Jeziasi's eyes close. "Swims-In-Silence...should I have known something was wrong with him? Or Did I..." she trails off. Did she know and just chose to ignore it? She did not think it mattered at the time. Slowly she rises and the doe blinks and walks into the forest, stopping to sniff a patch of grass where a small head rises, a little fawn. Jeziasi watches them for long moments before turning and heading back. 

The quiet forest is replaced by the bustle of Elden Root as Jeziasi walks through it. Bosmer stops to glance at her and Jeziasi finally ducks into a small shop to escape the gazes. Everyone still knew who she was...but they did not really know her. She was no hero. She was just herself.  
Jeziasi looks around the small shop, moving to a table and running her fingers down a set of daggers. Thin and deadly. Rather tribal looking. She glances around and sees an assortment of weapons and armor. Her gaze locks onto a set in particular. "Do you like it?" A Bosmer walks in from the back, his eyes eager. "I was inspired by a trip to Murkmire. I combined Bosmer style with Argonian. It would look great on you, I just know it! In fact, I want to gift you a set. And those knives as well! I know who you are, we all do."  
Jeziasi looks up and shakes her head. "I can't just accept something like this for free," she says. She starts to back away but the Bosmer erupts in a whirlwind of movement and soon as the gear and swords boxed up.  
"I insist! In fact, you cannot stop me. I can run very fast and I'll have these at the mage guild before you know it for you. And you know how rude it would be to bring them back then." he grins at her and turns his head toward the back. "Sira, I'll be back soon. Watch the store." he runs out of the store before Jeziasi can stop him, though she tries to follow but he is long gone.  
"He can run fast," Jeziasi says and heads back to the mage guild.

Razum-dar is waiting for her. "We are having dinner," he says. "Also a rather excited Bosmer dropped off a box for you." he gives her a sniff. "And you did not hunt, I would smell if you did."  
"He would not take no for an answer," Jeziasi said with a shrug. "And the only creature I saw was a doe with a fawn."  
"Razum-dar will show you to the spare room you'll stay in while we are here," Razum-dar says, seeming slightly puzzled she did not hunt.

After a bath and a change into the armor gifted to her, Jeziasi finds the others and sits at the table with them. It is a quiet dinner at first with most of the group giving glances between their food and Jeziasi. Softly-Speckled-Crab dips her bread in the stew and chews it, and then breaks the silence. "Teeth in the shadows?" she asks.  
Jeziasi stares at Softly-Speckled-Crab, and Softly-Speckled-Crab stares right back. "The Scuttling Void." Jeziasi finally says after she figures out she must have woken up at some point and said something to that effect. "Eternal Darkness, shadow Khajiits, waves of skeevers, and worse things. Some places are cast in ever-present purple gloom and other places, there is nothing but impenetrable darkness, where things lurk to shred flesh from bone."  
"So the shadows seem to have teeth," Softly-Speckled-Crab says, and Jeziasi nods.  
"Skeevers," Rufico says with a shutter. "I hate skeevers. Hate."  
"It took longer than I would liked to find a path out of that realm," Jeziasi says. "And then I end up in the Shivering Isles, which was not any kind of improvement."  
"Speaking of Shivering Isles..." Theodyn speaks up. "Ves...I mean Jeziasi, Sheogorath says your off his favorite list."  
At Jeziasi's expression, Razum-dar leans back. "He is why we know you were in Oblivion, old friend. Though he seems rather angry at you. Your good at that it seems, though this one thinks it's not too healthy making those kinds of things angry."  
Silence once more falls over the table as everyone slowly eats and Rufico looks around. "So, Jeziasi, what do Dunmers taste like? And did you ever eat any Imperials?" he says conversely.  
Theodyn stops with his spoon halfway to his mouth, Razum-dar covers his eyes with a paw, and Iveryni kicks Rufico under the table. "I am curious now too," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"Not you too," Iveryni says with a sigh.  
Jeziasi stares at Rufico and starts to shake until she cannot hold it in anymore and laughs. "You do not really want me to answer that do you?" she asks.  
"Naa," Rufico says. "Just breaking up the depressing silence that fell over the room. Sides, someone had to ask it. Might as well be me."  
"It sounds like a nightmare," Theodyn says bringing the conversation back to Oblivion. "Why did you stay so long in Oblivion if it was that horrible?" he asks.  
Jeziasi is quiet at first. "Not all of it was. There is wonder in the realms as well. Some of the spiders in the Spiral Skein shimmer like precious gemstones, though they are very venomous as well. One could spend a lifetime, and only see the smallest fractions of it all. It's very nearly beyond mortal comprehension."  
Razum-dar puts his spoon down. "Jeziasi, just how many realms of Oblivion did you visit?"  
Jeziasi thinks. "If you include the briefest times spend in Shivering Isles and the Colored rooms, seven," she says to startled looks.  
Rufico finishes his stew and just shakes his head. "Three years... I spend only a couple of months in the Imperial sewers during the planemeld and it nearly drove me mad. Three years..." he trails off. As Iveryni gives him a strange look Rufico shrugs. "We all have stories of the planemeld. Glad you stopped that Jeziasi."  
"It was not just I," Jeziasi says. "And it was a long time ago, it feels like it anyway."  
Razum-dar looks around and seeing everyone is done eating, he says. "Now that we are done with dinner, perhaps we can touch on the issues again." his eyes move to Jeziasi. "What happened with you and this Argonian?" he asks. Jeziasi tenses, her eyes narrow. "Perhaps it is too soon then," he says.  
"No," Iveryni says. "The cause may be just as important as the result and time is against us. Viperish Night is not the only one we need to be concerned with."  
Jeziasi growls softly and looks down at her empty bowl, pushing the spoon around. Theodyn looks to her and softly asks. "What was he like?"  
Jeziasi stops growling and looks at Theodyn. "Very quiet, we rarely spoke. Never even seemed as if we needed to," she answers as Razum-dar and Iveryni fall silent, seeing how Theodyn with a more simple question had gotten her to speak of thus. Jeziasi continues. "His scales were like the darkest night when moons and stars fail to shine. When darkness fell, I could hardly pick him out from the shadows. His twin line of horns was just the right length and went down nearly to his neck. He was very strong too, I have never known an Argonian that strong before." Jeziasi's eyes seem far away. "He made the pain and memories go away. So we could just exist simply. We hunted, and I could be myself with him. Hunt as myself, or my wolf. It did not frighten him, I don't think anything could have. After hunting, we feasted. And at night..." Jeziasi trails off. "And the rare time's memories intruded, he distracted me at times, other times he told me to sleep and when I woke they seemed very distant." Jeziasi falls silent.  
"One can get lost when life is simple," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
Jeziasi frowns. "This is true, but I did not feel lost with him. I felt...as if the outside world did not exist," she says.  
"It sounds..." Theodyn blinks, not sure what to say. "Did you love him?"  
"No," Jeziasi says. "I did not. It seems strange, to spend that much time with someone, but no, I do not think so. I am not sure what my particular feelings were then...closer to the wolf than the mer, I think. As if he was my pack, my beta. Or perhaps..." she trails off and shakes her head. "Never-mind."  
"It ended badly, this one thinks," Razum-dar says.  
Jeziasi looks to him startled. "No, I knew it was temporary. I knew one day he would leave and I would have to return to my life. I just... was troubled when he left, still. I was never sure why."  
Iveryni studies Jeziasi and her description of Swims-In-Silence. "You describe him so well," she says. "But you never mentioned his eyes."  
"Eyes are the windows into who we are," Softly-Speckled-Crab adds.  
Jeziasi looks down bow furrowed. "I never could remember his eyes," she says and shrugs at the puzzled looks she's getting. "Strange, I know."  
"...Hey," Rufico pipes in, "is it just me, or does anyone find the sleep thing creepy?" he says.  
"More than that seems a little...unsettling," Iveryni adds.  
Jeziasi is silent for long tense moments. "Perhaps...part of me knew that. I just dismissed it," she says.  
"Jeziasi," Razum-dar says and Jeziasi looks over at him. "Somehow this has all resulted in Viperish Night. You accept this now?"  
Jeziasi frowns. "I have to. I still don't understand how." Jeziasi falls silent again, her thoughts going to Viperish Night. He was so angry and so hurt. Filled with depths of darkness and madness that staggered her. Someone that far gone... rarely came back from it. Her thoughts move to Viperish Night's eyes, a mirror for hers, but the only thing of her she saw in him. And...there was his past to consider, Her shock at seeing his back, his angry hiss telling the truth of it. Slavers... she had gone mad against them in Vvardenfell for a time. "What is Viperish Night, Raz?" she asks. "Something created to be a monster or someone who was damaged to the point of becoming a monster?"  
"Jeziasi, it does not matter," Razum-dar says firmly. "He is what he is now. A threat to the Dominion and to Nirn. He must be dealt with."  
"It cannot be that easy!" Theodyn says. "I know he is evil and murders people, including my friends, but you are asking Jeziasi to kill her..." he trails off as Razum-dar growls at him.  
"Viperish Night must have been created by unnatural means," Razum-dar says. "How can one be a mother if that is how it was done? This one says it is not natural. There is no reason to apply it to thus."  
Jeziasi stands and starts stalking around the room. "I have killed someone I was close to before. I almost killed her once, to save someone I was close to. And the second time it was to save all Nirn. I do not know Viperish Night. It's easier that way. I will..." she looks at the others. "Help you end him. I love Nirn and I always wage war to save it, no matter the cost or who I have to kill or watch die. This changes nothing."  
Razum-dar rises and moves to Jeziasi and she snarls at him. "Don't. Not one word of sympathy or I will go mad. It is what it has always been."  
"Sometimes our destiny's are not of our choosing. But we become them with all our soul." Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
Jeziasi pauses to regard Softly-Speckled-Crab. "She is really insightful," she says softly.  
"This one thinks she is touched by Azura," Razum-dar says. "Razum-dar says we should wrap this up for the night."  
Everyone rises and starts to head out, but Softly-Speckled-Crab freezes, her eyes closing briefly before she opens them and moves in front of Jeziasi, looking at her. "Argonian's bond to have eggs." she insists.  
"Viperish Night asked me if I bonded with Stalks-In-Darkness," Jeziasi says. "I did not know at the time Swims-In-Silence was Stalks-In-Darkness. My time with Swims-In-Silence was temporary though. We never..." she shrugs and turns to go.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves in front of Jeziasi again. "You did not bond with him then?"  
Jeziasi looks at her, she just answered Softly-Speckled-Crab. "I am not an Argonian, of course, I did not..." she trails off, a hand moves to her head.  
Razum-dar turns to Jeziasi. "My friend are you alright?"  
"I..." Jeziasi says before suddenly falling and Razum-dar leaps and catches her. "Softly-Speckled-Crab, what's wrong with her?" Razum-dar asks as he lies Jeziasi gently down.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab sits on the ground near Jeziasi. "I am sorry," she says. "She needed to be pushed. The lady told me to do it." Softly-Speckled-Crab looks distressed. "It causes her pain and I do not want that. But she had to be pushed!" Softly-Speckled-Crab looks near tears and Iveryni sits by her, taking Softly-Speckled-Crab's hand in her own.  
"I do not know what is going on, but if you felt you had to do this there must be reason for it," Iveryni says.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab looks up at Razum-dar and then at Theodyn and Rufico. Razum-dar takes in her meaning and moves to Theodyn and Rufico and pushes them to the door. "Off to bed with you!" he says as he pushes them out the door. Razum-dar glances back at the girls. "Call this one if you need him. Razum-dar will be nearby," he too walks out.

_It's been a few days since Jeziasi followed Swims-in-Silence into the deepest parts of Shadowfen. Today they hunt the lamia. Venomous serpents that hunt in groups, they will become the hunted on this day. It is a whirlwind of tails and blades, fangs and claws, and when it is done a multitude of dead lamia lay around the two. Jeziasi feasts in werewolf form and glances at Swims-in-Silence. Swims-in-Silence gazes at her and then toward the ruins the lamia was gathered around. He heads inside and Jeziasi tilts her head before following him, shedding her werewolf form along the way.  
Inside the ruins, it's cool and Jeziasi finds Swims-in-Silence inside one of the inner chambers. He turns as she enters and holds out his clawed hand to her. "Bond with me, Jeziasi," he says.  
Jeziasi blinks startled. Swims-in-Silence cannot mean what she thinks he means. Argonian's bond with each other when they wish to produce eggs, love may or may not come into play. It's either a life-bond or a temporary one, depending on the circumstances. Jeziasi slowly frowns. She is not an Argonian, and this is temporary. Confused she suddenly feels unsettled and takes a step back from Swims-in-Silence. Her instincts are screaming at her again. She wants to ignore them as she has been doing since she went with Swims-in-Silence into the marsh. But something is not right with him asking this of her. Why would he? There is no reason for it.  
Swims-in-Silence lowers his hand. "Jeziasi?" he asks, moving closer to her and she stares into his eyes. "Do you like hunting with me?"  
Jeziasi closes her eyes. "Yes," Jeziasi answers. Hunting during the day, being with him at night. Swims-in-Silence makes all the painful memories seem like a distant dream. Her instincts at last fall silent and Jeziasi relaxes as she opens her eyes. His request does not seem so strange now.  
"Bond with me," Swims-in-Silence asks again, holding out his hand once more. This time she takes it. _

Jeziasi's eyes slowly flicker open and she sits up, a hand to her head. Everyone has left the room, save for Softly-Speckled-Crab and Iveryni. She looks at the two with confusion and a trace of fear in her eyes. "I did not remember," she softly says. "Bonding with Swims-in-Silence. I do not know how I could forget such a thing." What compelled her in that moment to take his hand? And why did she forget it? Jeziasi frowns. The few weeks she was with Swims-in-Silence at times seemed to be a dream, simple yet all-consuming. Lost in the marsh, lost in Swims-in-Silence.  
Iveryni starts to say something but Jeziasi bolts right up. "Not now." she softly growls and turns to the door. "I...do not want to know this."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You had to. I do not wish to cause you pain...but you had to. You know that."  
Jeziasi glances at her. "I know," she says and then walks out.  
Iveryni rises and looks at the door and back at Softly-Speckled-Crab. "She knows." Softly-Speckled-Crab insists. "Let her sleep on it."  
"Let us hope that one night is all she needs," Iveryni says. "I do not mean to be cruel, but Viperish Night will not wait on her. He may be in Craglorn as we speak."  
"It is not easy to have one's world break," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "To know one thing, and have another be true. To have such things hidden in the river. It would cause anyone such pain and anger."

Jeziasi walks out of the room and pauses only briefly as her eyes fall on Razum-dar. She turns her back on him and walks to her room. He pads after her. "Jeziasi, are you alright?" he asks.  
"Do you even care?" Jeziasi snaps. Razum-dar moves in front of her causing her to halt. "Stop doing that!" she snaps again.  
"This one must ask how you can ask that?" Razum-dar says. "Razum-dar knows our parting in Summerset..."  
"You threatened me!" Jeziasi says. "All for your precious Dominion."  
"Warning, Jeziasi," Razum-dar said. "This one trusts you, but this one had to all the same." he looks at her and she looks away. "You're not angry at Razum-dar. What happened in there?"  
"Swims-in-Silence. I bonded with him. I just forgot somehow." Jeziasi says.  
Razum-dar's eyes widen. "Forgot? Jeziasi, this is very bad. No one just forgets something like that," he says.  
"Don't you think I know that?" Jeziasi snaps. "I don't know how I forgot! I don't know if there is anything else I forgot. I don't know what's going on, Raz!"  
Razum-dar places a paw on Jeziasi's arm. "Calm, my friend. This could not have been your fault. Something made you forget."  
Jeziasi goes utterly still. "Raz... my emotions and instincts were out of sorts after Summerset. I had no idea if I could trust them, or myself."  
"What are you saying?" Razum-dar asks.  
"My instincts told me not to go with him." Jeziasi softly says. "I went with Swims-in-Silence anyway. And when those same instincts told me not to bond with him, not to stay with him, I ignored them again. Time and time again, I ignored them."  
Razum-dar stares at Jeziasi in shock. "This one says that cannot possibly be true," he utters. Jeziasi just stares at him until he asks her, "Why?"  
"I did not think it would matter," Jeziasi says. "I am so strong, Raz. How could one little Argonian be any kind of threat to me? And after Summerset, I just wanted something simple. He offered that." Jeziasi looks at Razum-dar with an unreadable expression on her face. "And later, it's as I said. He made the world go away. I did not think he meant me or Nirn any harm. Did he? He must have if this is the result." Jeziasi turns from him. "I am going to bed, Raz. Tomorrow we will figure a way to kill Viperish night and Swims-in-Silence and end this nightmare. Then I can try to forget it ever happened."  
Razum-dar looks at her back. "Will it be that easy for you, Jeziasi?" he asks.  
"...It does not matter." Jeziasi softly says. "I have killed someone I cared for before to save the world. As said, I do not even know Viperish Night, and as for Swims-in-Silence...I never really knew him, did I?" she moves away from Razum-dar and shuts the door to her room.  
Razum-dar places a paw on the door. "Jeziasi..." he sighs. She has to let them help her. Perhaps tomorrow...though Jeziasi has never been very open. Razum-dar turns and walks away.

Iveryni wants to stay up. Study, or work on what information they have. Anything but sleep. She rather...despises sleep. It keeps her from doing what she needs to be doing. And...if she is being honest with herself ever since she pulled Jeziasi from the Deadlands it seems as if something is watching her and the feeling is strongest when she sleeps, when her defenses are down. But if she does not sleep, she will falter. And to falter now...or any time is unacceptable. So she prepares for bed, brushing her long hair in front of a mirror. She closes her eyes for but a moment and when she opens them she starts back, the hairbrush falling to the ground. The mirror has gone nearly completely dark and someone watches her from the darkness, and all she can see of them is a shadowy silhouette and a pair of dark knowing eyes.  
"Dunmer, I have aided you. And you may be in need of my assistance again soon."  
The voice, the same one that showed her how to open portals. Iveryni stares into the mirror. "My name is Iveryni," she says.  
"I am aware of who and what you are. Iveryni Rathnil of House Telvanni...and yet not of House Telvanni. You blaze a new path. Something the Telvanni are not in the habit of doing." the voice says.  
"What do you want?" Iveryni cautiously asks.  
"The same thing you want. The path Viperish Night wishes to blaze is not one I care for. Therefore, if you need it, I will assist you, Iveryni Rathnil."  
Iveryni stills, her mind going back to many of the things Softly-Speckled-Crab had been saying. "Do I want that?" she says.  
"Want? Tell me, does want come into play when the fate of Nirn is at stake? Would you not become whatever you need to to stop Viperish Night?"  
"This...is true," Iveryni admits. "But there is still a chance to stop Viperish Night before he finds..." she trails off. How much did this mysterious person know?  
"No need to hide things, Iveryni Rathnil. I know what Viperish Night seeks. If he lays claim to it, you will need my assistance. And you will take it."  
"If," Iveryni says. "We are going to do everything we can to stop him before that point."  
"If then, Iveryni Rathnil. I will call on you should you fail." The eyes start to fade and then the voice adds, "You should ask what Divine Being would give a gift of death to a King in need." The mirror shimmers and returns to its normal state.  
Chills run down Iveryni's neck. She had not even considered where the knowledge of the relic came from. She frowns wanting to return to her books. But...failure was even less an option and so she heads to her bed instead.

Jeziasi bolts up from the bed. Nightmares drove her from sleep, they chased her across the plains of Oblivion, shadows peel off from the darkness to pursue her, and when she turns to fight the wolf does not come and the shadows leap, blocking out all light and hope. Jeziasi snarls and grabs the bed, throwing it across the room to shatter against the wall. "I am the hunter, NO ONE HUNTS ME!" she snarls and grabs a chair sending it crashing against the wall. Her eyes flare and for a moment the wolf shimmers into view, flesh melting to fur, claws replacing fingers and she slashes the walls until the pain knocks the wolf from her again. She staggers to the door and flings it open, racing from her room and the mage guild.

Jeziasi runs blindly into the night and suddenly she finds herself in front of a flickering fire in which Wyress Asteria and a gathering of Bosmer females sit. Wyress Asteria looks up at her and stands. "Walk with me," she instructs and heads deeper into the woods. Jeziasi stares after her before following.  
The moons and stars shine down through the trees as Wyress Asteria sits on the grass and looks up at Jeziasi. "I knew you would seek me out. So you have accepted the truth."  
Jeziasi sits and does not speak for a long time. Finally, she does. The words must come out, even if she rather forget. "I did bond with Swims-In-Silence. He is...," she trails off. "I do not understand how it is possible still. I know I cannot possibly..." she makes a round shape with her hands. "So it must have happened another way. I might have been aware of it since I did not remember the bonding until Softly-Speckled-Crab pushed me to remember."  
"A mystery even I cannot see an answer to, but is that what you came to discuss with me, truly?" Wyress Asteria says.  
Jeziasi falls silent again. No, it's not. Her mind flashes back into the Deadlands. Being thrown out of the window and crashing against the ground hard enough to break ribs. Helm gone, she had opened her eyes to see Viperish Night gazing down on her. His eyes...so similar to her own. It had made her heart stop, even though then she thought him mad and not speaking any kind of truth. Jeziasi places her hands on the ground, trying to ground herself. "I should not ask this," she says, "But...you said he was different once."  
"Should not ask this?" Wyress Asteria says and looks into Jeziasi's eyes. "He in part came from you," she says and then gestures to the woods around them. "In these woods, wolf mothers hunt with their pack to bring food back to their pups. Bear mothers protect their young with great ferocity, a doe watches over her fawn and keeps them hidden from predators. How can anyone disregard this essential fact? It would be heartless to do so." she says.  
Jeziasi swallows. "He thinks I abandoned him but I never even knew he existed. And he threatens all of Nirn... he has murdered and caused such pain..." Jeziasi trails off.  
"And yet, you still ask." Wyress Asteria says. "It is as natural as breathing, Jeziasi." She falls silent. "Please give me a moment. The death of my sisters is still an open festering wound. To give you what you need, I need to center myself."  
Jeziasi nods and time pass, the peace of the forest calming her nerves, and calming Wyress Asteria as well. She finally speaks again. "A question first, Jeziasi if I may." As Jeziasi nods, Wyress Asteria asks, "What I feel from you is small, but it is what I look for when I recruit sisters for the Wyrd. I do not think you're aware of it, the magic that never had a chance to grow."  
Jeziasi thinks, trying to remember. "My mother," she finally says. "My village was small, though I can't remember the name of it, or even if it had a name. I felt pulled to the larger world after my parents died. I think perhaps that is why I never explored anything like that. The past before the wars is a faded dream."  
"Taken from this world and from life then returned. It has consequences." Wyress Asteria says.  
"I felt trapped after the wars," Jeziasi says. "Cold in a way I could not shake. Lost."  
"And then you were called by Lord Hircine." Wyress Asteria states. "I doubt many would understand this."  
"No...not really," Jeziasi says. "It is not an easy path but I would not go back and refuse it, either. It set me free, it chased away the cold. Perhaps it bound me to one of the Princes, but everything has a cost. And it seems acceptable cost to me."  
Wyress Asteria reaches for Jeziasi's hand. "This path called to you strongly, though it is one of the many paths set before you. We all have more than one. The one we travel, it is not always just us who decides it. Perhaps in another life, you could have been one of us." Wyress Asteria's eyes close briefly then she looks back to Jeziasi. "Viperish Night took a path I had hoped he would not. When I first met him something about him puzzled me, and I took him back to the Wyrd with me."  
Jeziasi starts a little. "Wyrd doesn't tolerate outsiders," she says.  
"No, we do not. My sisters were displeased with me for a time." Wyress Asteria says. "I brought him to my village because the first time I set eyes upon him, he was sitting on an island with lamia. They made no move to attack him, and he made no move in turn. It was the strangest thing. And I saw this again and again as he dwelt among us. He loved the trees, he loved the animals. They would come to him and he would marvel over them. I could feel the life magic so strongly from him. If he had been a female, he may have been offered to join us, though..." Wyress Asteria trails off for a moment. "Though I could also feel the corruption within him. Necromancy. And unlike any mage that pursues that foul magic, necromancy was tangled into his very being like brambles. I have never felt anything like it, and it caused me such sadness. I knew he was at war with himself. War against the necromancy or submit to its darkness." Wyress Asteria looks down. "I thought he would choose the former. He helped save our woods and almost died for it. He had such gentleness in him, such kindness. I do not know what happened to him after, but it destroyed that part of him. When I looked into Viperish Night's eyes when he came back to the woods..." she trails off. "You know what I saw, Jeziasi. Utter darkness, depths of pain, swirls of madness."  
Jeziasi staggers up and turns away from Wyress Asteria, leaning her head against a tree trembling. "I...I thought there was nothing of me in him," she rasps. "But..." Jeziasi trails off. The Viperish Night Wyress Asteria described was an utterly different person. One who found wonder in the world, one who would risk life to save it.  
Wyress Asteria stands. "Viperish Night is not just one thing, Jeziasi. He chose this path but dark forces had a hand in his fall. He was strong enough to break free of it once. Something changed."  
"He said he was taught by a monster," Jeziasi says. "That must be the mentor you spoke of. I will kill him. And..." her eyes turn haunted. "Swims-In-Silence or Stalks-In-Darkness, whatever he calls himself, caused all this. I will kill him too." she softly growls. "Though I cannot go and hunt them alone. I want to...but Raz would never forgive me, and the others..." she trails off. She hardly even knows this group of would-be heroes. It wars with her to stand with them rather than alone. But alone...she had been hunted when alone and it caused all of this. She had to stay. But... her eyes close and she clears her thoughts. "Wyress Asteria... what do I do about Viperish Night?"  
"You know the answer to that." Wyress Asteria says. "I feel it within you."  
Jeziasi opens her eyes and turns to Wyress Asteria. "Try to save him if I can find him. Try to tell him the truth and sway him from this madness. He needs to know if he does not, who his father is as well, though I do not know the full truth of Swims-In-Silence. And..." she trails off, eyes glimmering with sadness. "If I cannot, I will do what I must in the end. I always do. But I will try to save him first."  
"I am in contact with other Wyrds now. We prepare for war. If we find Viperish Night, we will send for you." Wyress Asteria promises. "Try to rest now, Jeziasi. The coming days will be hard."  
Jeziasi nods and turns to go. She pauses as if she wants to ask another question, but decides not to and returns to Elden Root.


	44. Act 3  - City Hunting

-Unknown Location-

The portal closes leaving Viperish Night in an unfamiliar location. He glances around. Rocky ground beneath his feet, graceful trees that grow nearby. A mild wind blows and no one and nothing appears around him. Viperish Night reaches for his staff, then hisses softly. It, along with his robe and swords is lost to the Deadlands when the Daedra took offense at his intrusion. And his bag...Viperish Night tilts his head. When did he last have it? Before he attacked the Wyrd. At the very least he memorized what he needed to, though the book made no mention of where the scroll was found in Craglorn. The one who found it was an Imperial by the name of Dioninius Macanis. Viperish Night would have to find him.   
Viperish Night notices something gathered on a rock by one of the trees. He stalks to the rock to find an ebony black staff that swirled to a sinister point and under it a robe. No hood and a partially open front. Almost tattered looking but by design. He would look almost like a Draugr in this. Anger tints his eyes. So his former mentor helps him, or perhaps Stalks-In-Darkness. They want him to find the relic. And he wants to as well...but he has no plans to allow them to live to reap whatever rewards they think they will get out of it. He would take these things though.  
A little while later Viperish Night sits on a rock clad in the robe with the staff strapped to his back. He had pushed away what happened as long as he could, but no longer. He lowers his head, fury radiating from him. His Egg-Mother acted as if she had no idea he existed as if she never knew she had eggs. She had to be lying, that was impossible. Viperish Night frowns. How did a Bosmer lay eggs anyway? Confusion mares Viperish Night's face. So much of this made so little sense, he tries to make sense of it all but his thoughts return to Jeziasi. She would have never been what he expected. She was fiery with a temper to match. So very strong, as strong as he was, perhaps more so. He did catch her off guard and then the number of dead that came to his call far outnumbered her. He could tell the fall hurt her from the way she moved, but still, she managed to destroy the horde of undead before falling unconscious upon the ground. She was a monster...shedding form to become that in actuality as well. She had to be lying, she had to be cold and heartless. But... the flash of concern and horror in her eyes as she saw his scared back...but she still denied his existence! Could he have not been born yet? No...that was an impossibility. His former mentor and Stalks-In-Darkness would never let him near her if that was the case. His former mentor warned him of traveling outside of Daggerfall. So she had to have bonded with his Egg-father and somehow had eggs... something was missing. Who was his Egg-father? She denied that it was Stalks-In-Darkness. Viperish Softly growls and closes his eyes. Soon he is lightly dozing, the wind blowing against his scales.

Anger, rage. Depths of darkness. Viperish Night opens his eyes some hours later and his dreams had been filled with the screams of the living and then the blessed silence of the dead. The amulet is fully charged and he takes it in his claws and then clenches his fist and it shatters into pieces. Viperish Night slowly smiles. He is no longer in need of this trinket. He can see how to open the portals, the magic of it sang to him. So much did... when he reached for long-ago lessons in Wayrest it came to him so easily. The portals opened and the Daedra poured forth at his command. Controlling that many would have been impossible, even for him. But he did not try to control them. Just let them run rampant in Wayrest, slaughtering who they choose. He supposes they could have decided to turn on him, but easier prey was everywhere. Viperish Night rises, darkness has fallen why he rested. He opens a portal with his staff and steps through.

-The Rift - Nimalten-  
The stone floor is covered in crimson red splashes, and so is Viperish Night's claws. He once more needed knowledge he lacked and so he had come into this small guild and was immediately set upon by mages and fighters and his mind was in turmoil so he let go. So much confusion fury and pain, for a time he let the red wash over him and all he knew was the feel of his claws slicing through flesh, the sound of fury and screams, and then at last silence.   
It is so very quiet now, the only sound in this small guild is the blood dripping from his claws. Viperish Night shakes it off and reaches for a sword from one of the fallen Nords. It's not Redguard and there is only one, but it will do. Viperish Night's eyes travel to a bookcase next and quickly scans the small collection. He snatches the one he wants and sits down to read. Soon he has found what he needs and soon he is ready to cast the spell. He gathers what he needs from the mage's side of the guild and snatches a metal armband from one of the dead Nord's and chants the spell he found. The band glows brightly and the light fades after a few minutes. Satisfied, Viperish Night claps it onto his upper arm and slowly grins. However, his former mentor and Stalks-In-Darkness have been tracking them...they no longer will be able to. Viperish Night turns and walks out of the guild into the night.  
The small village is silent save for the lone cry of a lonesome cat, walking out of the shattered door of a small cottage. Viperish Night tilts his head. Perhaps venting his fury on this small village was a little much. But it had been so amusing to call the dead and send them flooding into the unexpected village before entering the guild. Besides, he had gifted them freedom, and now all was peaceful. Viperish Night raises his staff and the portal opens and Viperish Night crosses through the portal.

-The Cave-  
Viperish Night's former mentor touches the scrying pool. He can no longer scry for Viperish Night, his former pupil had managed to find a spell to hide from prying eyes. Slightly impressive if not aggravating. And Jeziasi had vanished from view as well as soon as she had been pulled from the Deadlands. Something, no someone, was responsible for this. As predicted, she had been pulled into this matter. Just as expected. Mentor glances over at Stalks-In-Darkness and then back at the now useless scrying pool. Her part in this should have been done, but Stalks-In-Darkness had ordered him to watch over her as well as Viperish Night over the years, and even interfere at times when her life was directly threatened beyond what she could deal with. It was madness. Mentor frowns. Utter madness to keep her alive. To go so far too ensure that she would be apart of this. It was also the very reason Viperish Night's egg was brought into the past. So he would rise to his dark power when Jeziasi was sure to be alive. He had rather hoped Viperish Night would manage to kill her. But no, of course, everything had gone the way Stalks-In-Darkness wished it. Mentor stares into the pool, but he is no longer angry. Perhaps he should...do something interesting. With both of them hidden from view, he had a little more freedom. It was time to take advantage of it. No matter how this ended, he was going to make sure he came out on top of it. No matter what.

-Elden Root-  
Iveryni is buried in books, looking for anything else that mentions The band of T'zlich. It's early in the morning and only she and Rufico are awake as of yet. "Nothing," Iveryni says with a sigh.  
Rufico leans against the wall arms crossed and eyes stormy. "Damn it," he mutters and Iveryni looks at him. "The Imperial researcher that found the scroll. It mentions a name."  
"Of course. Why did I not think of that?" Iveryni says and flips to the back. "Dioninius Macanis."  
"Damn it," Rufico says again.  
"It is a good thing, Rufico," Iveryni says. "It's a lead since the book fails to mention where this researcher found the scroll."  
"Good thing. Until you think about where we have to go to find this guy. If he survived the planemeld," Rufico says, eyes darkening. He looks away from Iveryni's intense gaze. "I ran away from home and I never went back. Never wanted to."  
"You never wanted to find your family?" Iveryni asks. Rufico's face darkens.   
"Trust me, you do not want to go there, Iveryni," Rufico says. "My family is no one I want to know. If they are dead, I won't shed a single tear." he falls silent for a moment. "Cried all my tears when I ran away. I have none left," he says.  
Iveryni places the book she is looking at down, her intense gaze on Rufico before she looks away. "I will inform Razum-dar and gather the others. We are running out of time. Viperish Night will know this as well. He will seek the Imperial City." she looks at him. "You could stay here."  
"No," Rufico says. "We need to be together. I may have been alone for a long time, but I know we have to stay together now."

They are all gathered in under an hour and Iveryni readies to open the portal. Jeziasi hangs back and catches Razum-dar's eyes and he moves to her. "Raz," she says softly. "If we find Viperish Night...I need to speak to him before we act. Please."  
Razum-dar growls. "Foolish, Jeziasi. You know this. You must know this."  
"And yet," Jeziasi says, a glimmer of something in her eyes before she hardens them again. "He was not always this way. I know what he has done cannot be forgiven, but if there is a chance of ending this before it goes further..."  
"Is that the reason?" Razum-dar says. "Or do you not wish to..."   
"I will do what I must," Jeziasi says tightly. "Make no mistake of that. My blades or my claws will find him if I must. Will end this, if I must. But...he is mine, however, it was done. I went with Swims-In-Silence of my own will, even if I did not know the truth of it." she pauses and briefly shuts her eyes before opening them. "I think...I had to agree to bond with him for him to do what he did, Raz."  
Razum-dar pauses before he asks his next question. "My friend..." he trails off.  
"I..." a lost expression crosses Jeziasi's face as she figures out what Razum-dar wants to ask. "How can I deal with it? How does anyone deal with something like this? It makes me almost wish I was back on Oblivion. It was on the edge of survival there, but at least I did not have to think."  
"This one should have checked in on you," Razum-dar said. "Not once in three years did Razum-dar." he sighs. "Razum-dar wished to give you space. Perhaps you would have come home, then."  
"Valenwood is not my home," Jeziasi said. "Although...I never did seek you out after the wars. I never sought anyone out. The wars changed who I was."  
"This one thinks you should have," Razum-dar says. "You must see that."  
Jeziasi softly sighs. "You will never accept the path I went, will you? You cannot tell me everything you have done for the Dominion has been free of blood."  
"This one would never claim that," Razum-dar says. "But this one did it for this one's Queen and the Dominion." He stops before he says something he regrets. "Let us not fight again, my friend."   
"Fight later," Jeziasi says. "After this is all said and done," she looks at Razum-dar. "Raz."  
Razum-dar throws up his hands. "Do not look at this one that way! With those eyes of yours," he grumbles. "Very well, but we will be close by. That is not up for debate."

-Imperial City - Arboretum District-  
Iveryni and Theodyn walk down the path of the Arboretum surrounded by small trees, still growing into their full size. Theodyn's eyes are wide, the Imperial City is larger than any city he has ever seen, though the scars of the planemeld are still evident years later. From the records office, if the information was accurate, Dioninius Macanis could either be in his shop, taking a daily walk in the Arboretum, or at home in the Elven Gardens District. The group had split into three groups, for even though the city was peaceful, that could change.   
Iveryni and Theodyn pause and glance at each other. "Dioninius Macanis is not here," Iveryni says. "We should head to the market district to meet up with Razum-dar and Jeziasi," Iveryni says and turns to head back down the path.  
Theodyn follows and then pauses, his curious eyes looking at a small cluster of trees. "There is a spirit in those trees," he says puzzled.  
Iveryni turns and looks a frown crossing her face as she carefully moves closer, Theodyn behind her. "That is no spirit," she says softly, regarding the glowing blue figure. Mage cloak with the hood pulled over his head and a cloth mask across his face. Iveryni reaches for her staff, and Theodyn's hand moves to his sword. The glowing figure looks up at them. "No need for that," he says. "I was looking for someone else, and then I saw you." he gazes at them, his eyes sharp. "I overheard you, you see. You seek the same man as my former pupil does."   
The blood drains from Theodyn's face as Viperish Night's words drift through his head. He had said his former mentor murdered Seriana, his sister. The world goes red and Theodyn rushes at Mentor, his sword swinging wildly. "You are the one who murdered my sister!" Theodyn screams. The sword cuts right through Mentor and Theodyn stumbles and spins around.  
"Theodyn!" Iveryni cries as she dashes after him, but Mentor is to fast and spins, a knife suddenly in his hand as he pins Theodyn to the tree, the blade drawing a drop of blood from Theodyn's neck. Iveryni freezes, trying to figure out how Mentor is doing what he is doing. Insubstantial one moment, the next...this. "What do you want?" she asks.  
"You cannot possibly give me what I want." Mentor answers. "And neither can Stalks-In-Darkness."   
Theodyn struggles to regain calm, though his eyes are boiling with fury. Iveryni studies Mentor. "Who are you?" she asks. "And do not tell me you're selling him out, we are not stupid enough to believe that."  
"This boy clearly is," Mentor says. "As for who I am, that is not your business." His eyes narrow. "I am not foolish enough to sell Stalks-In-Darkness out," he utters. "You would be wise to get out of his, and Viperish Night's way, but you are heroes, so that advice is wasted on you. Now, I have a question for you, unless you want your friend's throat slit."  
"Speak and be quick of it," Iveryni says coldly, her eyes darting briefly to Theodyn, begging calm and silence of him. He is struggling, she knows this. This is the man... no mer, that murdered his sister in cold blood.   
"Tell me," Mentor starts, "Jeziasi seeks Viperish Night even now, does she not? To kill or save, one never knows with her. Does she know yet? One of Stalks-In-Darkness's truths?"  
"He came to her under the assumed name Swims-In-Silence," Iveryni says, a glint of anger in her eyes. For anyone to do that... "She knows." Iveryni finishes tightly.   
"Don't tell this bastard anything!" Theodyn says.   
Iveryni holds up her hand, her eyes looking at Theodyn, asking him to trust that she knows what she is doing, and he calms again.  
"Assumed...is it really?" Mentor says. "Is he Stalks-In-Darkness or is he Swims-In-Silence?" Mentor laughs. "It's best to refer to him as Swims-In-Silence now. And it would be wise not to expect him to act as you think he would act."  
"As a Shadowscale, an assassin," Iveryni says, her gaze sharp on Mentor. She still has not figured out why a former Dark Brotherhood member would do this if she can get any clues from this mer...  
"Yes of course," Mentor says.   
Iveryni realizes something then. "You hate him," she says. "Why would you help him?"  
"I have my reasons," Mentor says.   
The hate was evident when he spoke of him...and of another. "You hate Jeziasi as well, don't you?" Iveryni guesses.  
Mentor's eyes flare with anger and he drops the knife from Theodyn's throat and vanishes.  
"Theodyn," Iveryni moves to him and he shrugs her off.  
"Sorry...I lost my head." Theodyn says. "I..." hurt glimmers in his eyes. "He's a monster."  
"He is not the only one," Iveryni says. "This has been informative." she glances at Theodyn. "That mer knows Jeziasi, and hates her."  
"If we can figure out who he is, we may know more." Theodyn finishes. "We need to ask Jeziasi how many mer's hate her."  
Iveryni just stares at him and turns to go. The list of people who have reason to hate Jeziasi is longer than she cares to think about.

-Imperial City - The Elven Gardens-  
Softly-Speckled-Crab darts into a bakery after she and Rufico had gone to Dioninius Macanis's house. He had not been there and they had been informed he was at work today. So they started the walk back to meet up with Razum-dar and Jeziasi, but a bakery filled the delectable bread had caught Softly-Speckled-Crab's attention and she had darted inside. Rufico leans against the wall next to the bakery. He had not followed her...he remembered this place from when he was a kid. That was a long time ago, but he rather not anyone recognize him. It was strange enough being back here and seeing things so...normal. Sure, there was still rebuilding going on, a lot of the buildings are less than five years old and the replanted trees are young. And the looks in the eyes of the civilians...the same look that he sees in the mirror. Haunted by horrors the mind could hardly comprehend, but could also not forget.  
A guard passes and Rufico tenses as he passes. Rufico's eyes follow the guard. It reminded him of the Zero Legion. What had happened to those monsters? Did they ever pay for their part in the atrocities? In going along with the cult? The sound of a knife drawn has Rufico starting. Next to him by the ally is a man peeling an apple with a knife. Rufico frowns. Had the man been there the whole time? He had not noticed him before now.  
The man glances over at Rufico. "Such hate in those young eyes," the man remarks before popping a piece of the apple into his mouth. Rufico swallows. "Ever think of tracking down any of the Zero Legion and..." the man makes a slicing motion with the knife in front of his throat.   
"That...will not change anything," Rufico says.   
The man shrugs. "Might make you feel better. Or...," he finishes the apple and throws the core into the street. "Or it could open up a door, one you could step through to become something else altogether." Rufico stares at the man and the man laughs and turns, vanishing into the shadow of the alleyway.   
Softly-Speckled-Crab comes out of the bakery and looks at Rufico, who is looking more than a little spooked. She holds out a sweet bun to him and he takes it and slowly eats it as they walk down the street. Rufico glances at Softly-Speckled-Crab once. All that talk of becoming and this strange encounter. He needed to get it out of his mind before he jumps out of his skin.

-Imperial City - Market District-  
Jeziasi looks around curiously. She has never been to the Imperial City before though a part of the wars took place here. A lot of the city looks rather new, much of it must have been destroyed in the Planemeld. Razum-dar is following right behind her and Jeziasi glances at him remembering how he growled at her when she made her intentions clear. Still, he agreed, he trusted her to do what was necessary should it come to it. She had always been good at that, no matter the personal cost. A shadow crosses her face. That is a large part of why she stayed in Oblivion as long as she had. She turns her eyes forward again until Razum-dar makes a strange noise and she glances back to find him looking only at her, and his gaze is rather low as well. "Raz!" Jeziasi says. "There is a lot of pretty Imperial women around that you could be looking at."   
Razum-dar raises his eyes to look at Jeziasi. "This one is just going to keep his eyes on you," he says. "You might vanish into Oblivion again if this one does not. Besides the view is rather nice."  
Jeziasi stares at him. "You know I happen to be what would be referred to in some cultures as married," she says.   
"All the better," Razum-dar says happily and Jeziasi stares at him for long moments before she starts laughing. "Now, my old friend, that is the Jeziasi I remember." Razum-dar purrs. "Wild and sure of herself."  
Jeziasi pauses. "I always have been. Until now." Uncertainty crosses her face again.   
"We will fix this," Razum-dar firmly says. "This one will help you put a blade in Swims-In-Silence if that is what you want. If..." he trails off.  
"If I let you help me." Jeziasi finishes and falls into a thoughtful silence before nodding yes. "I...guess I may need help. What I feel towards Swims-In-Silence is complicated...I am ready to tear him to pieces for what he did, but the time we spent together, I cannot just erase that from my mind. Still." Jeziasi's eyes narrow. "I will not let him get away with hunting me or what he did to Viperish Night." She stares at Razum-dar daring him to say something. She knows her desire to try and talk to him is foolhardy at best.  
Razum-dar throws his paws up. "When your mind is set on something, Jeziasi, not even Jone and Jode can sway you."  
"True," Jeziasi says with a smirk. "Now let us find this shop and hope we are not too late." She turns and Razum-dar falls in step with her.

-Imperial City - Market District - Curios & Wonders-  
Viperish Night drops the Imperial to the ground his neck broken. The unassuming shop is deep in the market district. This was not the first body Viperish Night had to drop, even here they know of him, have wanted posters with his face on them. A hood may help, but Viperish Night is done hiding. Let the world try to stop him. A savage grin crosses Viperish Night's snout as he laughs softly. Once, hardly anyone knew him or of him. Now? All of Nirn seemed to. And yet, no one seemed able to stop him. The bounty posted for him kept going up as well. Viperish Night's eyes glimmer with darkness. Wait until the Nords found out what he had done to Nimalten. He had left only a stray cat alive in that village. Viperish Night walks into the store.

-Imperial City - Market District - Curios & Wonders-  
The small building Curios & Wonders. Jeziasi opens the door and heads inside the small shop with Razum-dar. An assortment of relics, old weapons, and curios from around Nirn are on the shelves and behind glass cases. "No shopkeeper," Razum-dar murmurs. "Razum-dar does not like the feel of this."  
Jeziasi goes still. She smells blood, fresh blood. The click of claws on the floor..." He's here," she breaths and looks at Razum-dar.  
"Razum-dar will be here. Be careful, this one thinks there is no saving this one. You know this, Jeziasi." Razum-dar cautions.  
"I know," Jeziasi says, her voice tinged with sadness. "I also know I must try." She leaves Razum-dar to head through a door to the storage room past the shop area.   
The storeroom is bigger than she would have thought and at the very back is Viperish Night. At his feet is an Imperial man, blood pouring from his neck to puddle on the floor. Jeziasi freezes. Viperish Night kills so easily...just as she has in the past. "Viperish Night," she breaths.  
Viperish Night stills and turns to her, his eyes filling with the depths of rage and hate. He snarls at her as he stalks toward her. Jeziasi holds up her hands. "I am here to talk, just talk," she says.  
"Talk?" Viperish Night hisses as his eyes once more fall on his Egg-mother. "Or more lies?" Blue energy glows from the tips of his claws as the dead Imperial rises, his flesh melting off bone till all that's left is the skeleton, its eyes glowing with unnatural blue light. It moves to stand by Viperish Night. "This city is rife with the undead." Viperish Night states. "I am not sure even I could raise them all...but to kill you I may very well try." Viperish Night says.  
Jeziasi's eyes widen in shock. She had been told what he did at Oblivion's Isle and in other places, but to hear him say it...did he have no doubt about doing something so horrific? "You would never..." she trails off as she sees the madness glittering in his eyes. She swallows. "Talk to me," Jeziasi insists. "I will let you leave after. I will not attack if you do not raise the dead in this city against me."  
"You care for the living that much?" Viperish Night says. "But...not for me, is that it?"  
"I did not know," Jeziasi explains. At Viperish Night's furious glare she adds, "Let me explain. But first..." she softly growls.  
"Very well." Viperish Night hisses. "But I make no promises I will not kill you myself after, Egg-mother." The skeleton falls to the ground in a pile of bone dust.  
The way he said Egg-mother, so much loathing, and hate but also pain. Jeziasi realizes he never had anything close to parents. She breaths in and out and then speaks. "Black scales like night, twin rolls of horns. As if shadow was given form and life," she softly says.  
The hatred in Viperish Night's eyes grows. "Stalks-In-Darkness," he says with a furious hiss. "You said you did not know him!"  
"What did he do to you?" she asks.  
"You want to know that? You must have given my egg to that monster! Or will there be even more lies and denials!" Viperish Night snaps.  
"Did someone tell you I did that?" Jeziasi says, bewildered.  
"Stalks-In-Darkness said you were culpable. And now you admit you know him." Viperish Night hisses.  
Moments of silence pass before Jeziasi speaks again. "I...am culpable but not in the way you think. I was with an Argonian named Swims-In-Silence for a few weeks. I bonded with him, though I failed to remember that until yesterday. He made you, somehow, and used me to do it. And I let him, though I did not know the truth of it. I thought..." she trails off. "I still do not know everything."  
"And why should I believe you?" Viperish Night asks, his eyes locked onto hers, seeking truth from lies.  
"I cannot lay eggs, Bosmer cannot breed with Argonians," Jeziasi says. "And yet you are mine, half of my blood runs through yours. It took me a while to accept it. I never knew what Swims-In-Silence did before recently." Jeziasi pauses, remembering what Viperish Night had said when she first met him. That the other eggs failed. That only he hatched. A lost look crosses her face. What kind of twisted magic did Swims-In-Silence inflict on those eggs?  
Viperish Night's claws tighten on his staff. "This...Swims-In-Silence is my Egg-Father then," he says.  
"Yes," Jeziasi says. "And...he is also Stalks-In-Darkness. I never knew he gave me a false name until yesterday. I never knew a lot of things."  
Blue necromantic energy crackles from Viperish Night's staff as he shakes. "I will kill him," Viperish Night hisses. "Rend him to pieces. I suspected he was...but he would never tell me! How could an Egg-father do this??"   
Viperish Night's eyes filled with such hatred and darkness Jeziasi almost steps back. She fears he will lose control and set the dead loose upon this city. "What did he do to you?" she asks again, trying to get his attention to focus on her.  
Viperish Night stalks closer. "He, along with this world turned me into a monster. It became my only path to freedom, to be strong enough to withstand it all!" He snaps.  
"Let me help you hunt him," Jeziasi says. "Stop this quest of yours and go after the real monsters, not Nirn. Not the people in it." she gazes at him, into his eyes trying to plead with him, trying to reach him. She will hunt with him if he stops this.   
Viperish Night meets her gaze. Those eyes of his Egg-mothers. So hard and unforgiving, Viperish Night can see his doom in them. She offers this....but the moment he kills anyone she does not deem a monster she will turn on him. Everyone always turns or dies on him. His eyes harden.  
Jeziasi's expression falls as she sees his reaction to her plea. She knows at that moment she has failed to reach him. "I made a mistake with Swims-In-Silence," she whispers. "I do not want this."  
"This?" Viperish Night snarls. "Or me?" His eyes fill with pain before fury and hate fills them again.  
"That is not what I meant," Jeziasi says. "You exist now and I can accept that and you. Just stand down. Please."  
Viperish Night regards her, his fury melting into icy cold. Nirn is what she would choose over him. Nirn and her precious living no matter how much they made him suffer. Viperish Night moves like lightning and surprises her, wrapping his claws around her throat. She could reach for her daggers. Could kill him at this moment, perhaps. Betray him as so many others have. He gazes into her shocked eyes. "Egg-mother," he hisses. "Watch as your precious Nirn falls before me. Watch as I murder and free every living soul from this worthless world. Know you helped create a monster." Viperish Night leans in closer to whisper in her ear. "I will kill you only after I kill everyone else." He lets her go and turns to walk out. The sound of her knives being drawn causes him to glance back. She waited to do that, but still, she did it. Despite telling him she would let him go. "Try and I will raise the dead."  
She makes no move toward him, just clutches the knives tighter. "Do not do this," she tells him.  
"It is too late to save me, and soon it will be too late to save Nirn." Viperish Night says as he turns his head from her and starts to walk out, before Razum-dar moves in front of the door, blocking his escape.  
"Raz..." Jeziasi says.  
"Razum-dar heard." Razum-dar growls. "This one will end him before he can raise the dead." Razum-dar's eyes move from hers to Viperish Night. He knows she told Viperish Night he could go if he listened to her, but Razum-dar could not allow it. "This one is sorry, Jeziasi," he says as he draws his sword.   
Before Razum-dar can leap at Viperish Night a figure in dark grey and silver armor with a skull-like helm appears behind Razum-dar. Razum-dar spins as the armored figure's scythe slams down. Razum-dar blocks it with his sword but is thrown back crashing to the ground near Viperish Night. He rolls away toward Jeziasi and springs to his feet by her side, growling softly. Jeziasi looks at him, then at the armored warrior, her feet shifting, ready to fight.  
"Viperish Night." The armored figure states, moving into the room.   
"Another of Stalks-In-Darkness's lackeys?" Viperish Night growls. He has not forgotten Zirasha, though she seems to have stopped following him after he left her in Bangkorai.   
"I am no one's lackey!" he snaps. "I am Tyranius Vivicus of the Zero Legion."   
Razum-dar growls. "Invoking the name of the traitorous legion, not a good thing to do." Razum-dar growls.   
Tyranius Vivicus glares at Razum-dar. "The Dominion's pet kitty, you seem well and truly housebroken." He laughs as Razum-dar snarls at him. "You two," he says pointing at Razum-dar and Jeziasi. "You are Viperish Night's enemies, therefore you are mine. So to you, I am The Reaper."  
Razum-dar tightens his hand on his sword. "That one is known to the Dominion," Razum-dar says, speaking of Tyranius Vivicus. "The atrocities he committed during the Planemeld..."  
Tyranius Vivicus laughs. Viperish Night is watching all this with narrowed eyes and he snarls at Tyranius Vivicus. "Why?"   
"Why?" Tyranius Vivicus answers. "I owe someone a favor. You have me for that reason." he cracks his neck. "Was getting bored with hiding and mercenary work anyway. Do we kill these two?"  
"No," Viperish Night says. "Leave my Egg-mother and the house cat to watch the end of Nirn." Viperish Night glances once more at Jeziasi. If she had found him in Daggerfall things would have been different. But because of Stalks-In-Darkness's machinations, she was not even his Egg-mother then. So he turns and opens a portal and steps through, Tyranius Vivicus following behind him.   
Jeziasi watches the portal close. He is lost then. The world seems to dim and she fights to stay on her feet and fails. Razum-dar's warm arms catch her and she angrily growls at him.  
"Enough of that, Jeziasi." Razum-dar gently says. "You asked for this one to help you."  
Jeziasi stops growling. "I cannot reach him, Raz," she says, moving from his arms to stand on her own.   
"My friend, you knew that going in. You still tried." Razum-dar says.   
Jeziasi stares at the spot the portal was. "He must have gotten what he needed, Raz." Jeziasi knows Razum-dar tried to stop Viperish Night, she cannot hold it against him. She should have ended it when he had her by the neck. She could have but for once in her life, she was frozen, unsure of what to do. Now though? Sadness crosses her face. She would have to hunt him, to save her world.  
Razum-dar rests a paw on her arm before going to the bloody mess Viperish Night had left of Dioninius Macanis. "We will retrieve Iveryni. Perhaps she knows how to call his spirit back, briefly."

Iveryni crouches next to what remains of Dioninius Macanis. In her hand is a simple wedding ring, she had found it in what remained of the Imperial. She softly chants and calls his name and soon a spirit appears though his form is faint. "We will make this brief so you may rest, Dioninius Macanis," Iveryni says. "Where did you sent Viperish Night, the necromancer who murdered you?"  
"I thought the plague of necromancers was finished, but it seems to be our curse," Dioninius says. "May the Divines forgive me, for I told that beast what he wanted to know. He threatened to find my family. The things he said he would do..." he closes his eyes. "The scroll was found near The Howling Sepulchers in Craglorn."  
"Thank you, Dioninius," Iveryni says softly. "You are forgiven, go in peace to your Divines." Iveryni bows her head as the spirit vanishes. 

Jeziasi watches the ritual, her face set in stone. Only the faintest glimmer in her eyes shows the inner turmoil within. Razum-dar moves to her and rets a paw on her shoulder. "You tried, my old friend," he says.   
"I know," Jeziasi says. "A few words cannot make all he went through vanish. He is lost in it now, as lost as Veya was, perhaps even more so. I will do what I must. Viperish Night will not get the relic. This I promise, Raz."  
"We will help you, Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. "You will not be doing this alone, this time."  
Jeziasi sighs. "Why would Swims-In-Silence do this, Raz?" A shimmer of hurt passes over her face. "That's what makes no sense to me. No sense at all."  
Iveryni moves toward them. "Jeziasi, Razum-dar," Iveryni says and continues when she has their attention. "I and Theodyn ran into Viperish Night's former mentor. I learned a little from him, though not much. He's a powerful mer and he hates Swims-In-Silence." At Jeziasi's puzzled look Iveryni adds. "He insisted that we refer to Stalks-In-Darkness as Swims-In-Silence and not to expect him to act like a Brotherhood assassin."  
Jeziasi is still confused on her face. "Now things make even less sense," she says.   
"There is more," Iveryni adds. "Viperish Night's former mentor knows you, Jeziasi.   
Razum-dar glances at Jeziasi. "Just how many people have you angered, my friend?"  
"..." Jeziasi crosses her arms over her chest.   
"That is what this one thought!" Razum-dar purrs.   
"It is not funny," Jeziasi says. "I fought against many mages and necromancers." A curious expression crosses her face.  
"Jeziasi?" Razum-dar says. "Share with the group?"  
Jeziasi shakes her head. "I thought...but no. It could not be him, for he's...." she tilts her head. "Let us say locked up right now and leave it at that. There is no way he'd be out. So it must be someone else, but I am not sure who right now."

Theodyn leans against the wall with his eyes closed. He's not paying any attention to what the others are doing, instead, his thoughts are in turmoil. His fists open and close. He was so close to his Sister's murderer. But what would killing that mer, even if he could, do? It would not bring her back. It would not make her happy, either. No... revenge was not the path Theodyn wished, and so he sighs and calms himself.   
"You are wise not to stray down the path of revenge." a soft female voice tells him.  
Theodyn starts and looks over. There is an Imperial girl with long blond hair and pale eyes leaning against the wall next to him. Theodyn blinks rapidly, is he imagining her? "Where did you come from?" he asks.  
"Hmm..." she says. "Perhaps you will find that out one day." A look of sorrow crosses her face. "I hope not though, Theodyn Vautrine."  
"You hope not?" Theodyn says confused.   
"It would mean the worst has come to pass," she says. "It would mean he would have found the means to defile this world with the undead, more so than any other necromancer ever has."   
Theodyn swallows. This impossible girl is speaking of Viperish Night, of the relic. Goosebumps run down his neck. She is not a simple Imperial girl, she is something so far more, and Theodyn finds himself near terrified to be so close to her. "I do not want this. I hate this," he says and looks over at Jeziasi. "I wish it did not have to be this way."  
The girl's expression tightens. "We all make our own choices, Theodyn Vautrine. She made hers and we all suffer for it. Pray she has the strength to fix her grievous mistake, or the suffering so far will be nothing compared to what's next."  
Theodyn is silent for a moment, gathering his courage. "That's a little harsh..." he trails off, for the girl is now gone as suddenly as she appeared. Theodyn leans back against the wall and closes his eyes, trying to cease the trembles that course through him.

Softly-Speckled-Crab and Rufico enter the back of the shop soon after. Rufico leans against the wall with Theodyn and Softly-Speckled-Crab moves over to the others. "You don't look so good," Rufico says.  
"We failed again," Theodyn said softly. "By the time Iveryni and I got here, Viperish Night was gone with the location."  
Rufico glances at the others. "Razum-dar and Jeziasi were too late as well then." he guesses but Theodyn shakes his head.   
"Jeziasi tried to reach him but failed. Razum-dar tried to stop him, but a..." Theodyn trails off.  
"What?" Rufico says. "Just spit it out already."  
"An Imperial helped Viperish Night escape. Razum-dar said his name was Tyranius Vivicus and he was a Zero Legion from the wars."  
Rufico's brow furrows. "I am not sure, but I think I overheard my father say something once about him. How even the other legion soldiers feared him." Rufico's eyes turn stormy. "Did the damn Empire even make any attempt to charge the Zero Legion with war crimes?"  
"It is easy to want revenge," Theodyn says. "I thought I wanted it the moment I set eyes on my sister's killer." At Rufico's startled look Theodyn shrugs. "He seemed to be looking for Viperish Night. But he was some sort...here and not here. I don't know. You'd have to ask Iveryni."  
"You thought?" Rufico says.  
Theodyn nods. "Yes, but after I realized, I don't want to murder someone for my sister. She would hate that. And I would become something I don't want to become. If I kill him in battle, that's different. But wanting to murder for revenge... I cannot be that kind of person."   
"I don't think I want that either," Rufico says. "But...I'm not as sure as you, Theodyn." Rufico's thoughts drift to the strange man he talked to outside the bakery, but he does not bring him up. 

Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to each of her friends in turn, lightly brushing her tail against their legs before gazing sadly at the spot the Imperial died.   
Iveryni glances at Razum-dar. "We know where to go, we should go now."  
Razum-dar regards her, then turns to Jeziasi who's leaning against the wall eyes closed, in the middle of calming herself. It cannot be easy and he knows he's been hard on her. The stakes are too high... but she must know that. Razum-dar then turns to Theodyn and Rufico, both who look upset and troubled as well. "This one thinks not everyone is in the best frame of mind, even though time is of the essence."  
"We must go now!" Iveryni insists but Softly-Speckled-Crab tugs on her robe. Iveryni turns to look at her.   
"Tonight is too soon, even for Viperish Night," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "We need to be at our best. We need rest, calm, and peace to do what is right at Craglorn. And even then, we may falter. And if that happens... Nirn will suffer and we will have to become." Softly-Speckled-Crab looks around. "Viperish Night is half life, half death. To stop him if he gets the relic, we will have to be the same."  
Iveryni stares at her puzzling over her words and Theodyn and Rufico come over to the group. Razum-dar glances at Softly-Speckled-Crab and he nods his head at her and goes over to lean against the wall with Jeziasi.   
"So how do we be half life and half death?" Rufico asks puzzled. "Blood? I don't want to drink blood."  
"Life and death, darkness and light," Softly-Speckled-Crab says softly, her words seem to resonate in the small room. "We are four, though our paths will be our own to travel."  
Iveryni is the first one to understand. "If we fail to stop Viperish Night and must become, two of us will travel down the path of life or light. Two down the path of death or darkness," she says.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab nods. "It must be this way. Only then will we have what we need to stop him, in proper balance." She glances at each in turn. "The danger of getting lost is greater for the ones who will walk in the shadows. And..." she softly nods. "You already know what your path will be, should we fail at Craglorn. It needs not be spoken, in fact, it should not be spoken to each other at this time." Silence falls at her words. 

Jeziasi opens her eyes and looks at Razum-dar a question in her eyes.  
"Softly-Speckled-Crab speaks of becoming, should we fail to stop Viperish Night from claiming the relic," Razum-dar explains. "This one and you are what we are already. But those four will need to become more. More is not always..."  
"It does not lead to happy endings." Jeziasi softly says. "The road to becoming what is needed to save Nirn is not a easy one. And there are so many twists and turns."  
"You went the path you thought you had to," Razum-dar said. "You should have come for help, Jeziasi, but this one does understand what drove you. You will always be this one's friend."  
"You don't want to be my enemy," Jeziasi says. "I never want that either, Raz. I did miss you. I just thought it was better to be on my own. Less to lose that way. Or I thought it was less to lose." She gazes at the four young heroes. "We must stop Viperish Night at Craglorn. If we do not, the world will be at war again and they will have to give up so much to stop him. Too much."  
"You're determined then," Razum-dar says. "This one is, this one has to be, but..."  
"But he is mine." Jeziasi finishes, her eyes looking so lost for a moment. "I never wanted children. But now I wish I could have saved him before he got this way." She falls silent for a moment before shaking her head. "I cannot let him do what he is going to do. We will stop him, no matter the cost."  
"We will help you. If this one can, the final blow will not fall to you." Razum-dar says. He wonders if she will forgive him if it comes to that. If she could forgive whatever one of them it is to strike the final blow. But he trusts Jeziasi to see this through. The four finish their gathering and move to Razum-dar and Jeziasi. "So, we return to Elden Root and rest," Razum-dar says. "Tomorrow, we end this." Determined eyes meet him and the group gathers around Iveryni as she opens a portal to take them back to Elden Root, to rest and prepare for tomorrow.


	45. Act 3 - Before the Dawn

-Stros M'kai-  
Viperish Night turns on Tyranius as soon as the portal snaps shut. "Again, another one of their pets?" Viperish Night snarls. "You are not needed. Get out of my sight."  
Tyranius flips open the face-plate of his helm revealing a scarred face with hard eyes. "The Reaper is no one's pet, pup," he says. At Viperish Night's furious hiss Tyranius grips his scythe and slams it into the ground. "How many of those little heroes are chasing you?" Tyranius asks. "I saw two in there, and he said there was a Dunmer and a Breton as well."  
Viperish Night narrows his eyes. "At least five." Viperish Night says. "I can destroy them with ease."  
"You can murder common ones with ease. Groups of trained and obedient soldiers with ease." Tyranius snaps. "Heroes are a different breed. Always overcoming impossible odds. Heroes have the damned Divines on their sides, even if the lazy curs do nothing."  
Viperish Night's eyes track Tyranius. "I cannot trust you." Viperish Night snaps.  
"Good choice," Tyranius says. "I cut down my men when I needed to. When they refused to bend knee. Traitorous dogs. The Worm Cult, Mannimarco, Molag Bal, they would have made the Empire unstoppable. We would have ruled supreme once the planemeld completed."  
"I do not want to rule." Viperish Night hisses at Tyranius. "I want to annihilate. Kill. Murder. Everyone." he says, punctuating every word.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Works for me. Always the afterlife to rule."  
Viperish Night just stares at Tyranius.  
"Need to show you something," Tyranius says, flipping his face-plate down and turning to walk to a nearby cave.  
Viperish Night tilts his head before following Tyranius. At the cave entrance, Viperish Night pauses, his eyes widen. This... he has not felt anything like this in a long time. His steps quicken as he descends into the cave.  
Tyranius holds up a hand to halt Viperish Night from going any farther. "It's not ready yet," he states. "Soon. Very soon. Unless you want to tell me to get lost again." he turns around and crosses his arms.  
Viperish Night growls softly. His Egg-mother is so very strong. Are the others with her the same? Seriana's brother did not seem so, neither did the imperial Zirasha had lept upon. Still... there was more than just the two of them. Armies massing against him, the Wyrd. Viperish Night had already massacred in Pact and Daggerfall territory. And the Dominion seemed to be spearheading the hunt. "Very well." Viperish Night says giving one last glance at the eyes that stare at him from the darkness of the back of the cave.

Later at dinner Tyranius pauses in eating to ask a question. "You keep staring at me, pup," he says.  
Viperish Night regards Tyranius. "I knew an Imperial soldier once." he finally says as he tilts his head. "Your very different from Titumus." Viperish Night's voice all but growls the name.  
"Traitorous bastard," Tyranius says. "Thought he knew the true will of the Empire, so he went against it. I heard they threw the cur to the Dunmer slavers. I would have done worse to that bastard." Tyranius says with a grin. Viperish Night's claws clench as Tyranius looks at him. "Heard you were thrown to them as well."  
Viperish Night hisses, the familiar hatred filling him. "You know too much."  
"I was sent to help you, pup," Tyranius says. "Yes, by who you think sent me. You know you can hate him all you want and still accept his help. He wants your claws on the relic. He can't take it from you." At Viperish Night's furious look Tyranius changes the subject. "Hah, sore topic. So what happened to that Titumus cur?"  
Viperish Night chomps on the last of dinner, the memories flashing through his mind. "He betrayed me so I tore him apart in the arena." Viperish Night said.  
Tyranius throws back his head and laughs. "I have known many necromancers, but take away their magic and throw them in the ring all you'll get out of it is dead necromancers. I like the thought of one who knows how to scrap!"  
Viperish Night slowly smiles.  
"You liked it then," Tyranius asks.  
"Not at first." Viperish Night admits. "Later, I would have never admitted liking it. Now?" Viperish Night laughs softly.  
"Different story." Tyranius finishes. "Get a taste for blood and carnage you never want anything else. Trust me, I know this. Being in the Imperial Legion is an honor, but it was boring until the Worm Cult showed up. Then it got interesting. I was rewarded for my heavy hand, not disciplined." Tyranius grins.  
Viperish Night stares at Tyranius then into the fire. This man is a monster. But who else would his former mentor send? Who else would want to walk down this road with him? He was very much a monster now. "This world likes to make monsters." Viperish Night finally says. "Its utter madness." His eyes move back to Tyranius. "I will not wait long."  
"Our pet will be ready by tomorrow," Tyranius says. "And then those heroes won't know what hit them. Between the three of us, they will be so much bloody meat if they get in the way." At Viperish Night's glare, Tyranius laughs. "Yes I know, keep the Bosmer alive and mostly in one piece." Tyranius rises and moves to a covered wagon and enters it. When he walks back out he has an Imperial in his steel grip and he walks to the cave ignoring the Imperials pleas. 

Viperish Night nests on the sand as darkness gathers. Stros M'kai. Here is where his journey started all those years ago. Cast out from the only home he knew because he was different. Wrong. His whole life had been manipulated and...Viperish Night softly growls. His Egg-mother had been manipulated as well. He had stared into her eyes as she spoke and heard only truth. Stalks-In-Darkness... Swims-In-Silence... Viperish Night sits up and narrows his eyes unsurprising to see the familiar blue glow of his former mentor haunting him. He sits near Viperish Night. Again, all Viperish Night wants to do is kill him. But what did Tyranius say? Hate them and yet accept their help. At least until he could find and murder them.  
"I can no longer track you, my former pupil," Mentor says. "And it includes anyone who is in your imminent vicinity as well. Quiet a large bubble you have made around yourself." At Viperish Night's glare Mentor adds, "I instructed Tyranius to use a little one use spell to redirect you here, Viperish Night."  
Viperish Night is silent his eyes never leaving his Former Mentors. Finally, he speaks. "Stalks-In-Darkness," he utters, the one word filled with so much hate and fury.  
"Swims-In-Silence." Mentor corrects. Confusion colors Viperish Night's eyes. "He prefers to go by that name," Mentor adds. "He is far more Swims-In-Silence then he is Stalks-In-Darkness. There were just a few reasons to use the original name for the time being." Mentor's eyes stare deep into Viperish Night's. "He told you he had many truths, Viperish Night. This should not confuse you too much." Mentor's gaze turns thoughtful. "You will have to discover the rest of his truth's on your own. If I could tell you, I would be tempted to at this point."  
Viperish Night suddenly stands and hisses deeply. "You tried to get me to murder my Egg-Mother." he hisses. "Just when did she have..." he trails off before continuing. "You won't tell me anything of that, will you?"  
"It would be easier if you had," Mentor says. "But she needed to know of you. Swims-In-Silence wished it." Mentor thinks for a few moments. "That... No, I will not tell you that. I will tell you it was somewhat over three years ago that Swims-In-Silence bonded with your Egg-mother." Mentor regards Viperish Night. "Do you intend to spare her then?"  
Viperish Night sits down again and closes his eyes. It was clear Jeziasi never wanted this, never wanted him. She only came to him to save Nirn, not him. If he lay down on his belly for her, she would kill him or get her cat too. "I will spare no one." Viperish Night whispers. "No more mercy, just death." His eyes open, filled with the icy dark. "Where is Swims-In-Silence. What does he want?"  
"You know I cannot answer that," Mentor says. "Your mad, Viperish Night. And you should know Swims-In-Silence is too, and it did not start that way. He wanted one thing. To get it, not so simple. But he did not have to involve Jeziasi." At Viperish Night's questioning look, Mentor continues. "She deserves it. She deserves worse." Mentor says angrily.  
Viperish Night stares at his former mentor. What did his Egg-mother do to him? His hatred for her ran so very deep. "Get back to the point." Viperish Night demands.  
Mentor glares at him and then continues. "He could have used another Bosmer, one of the Wyrd, even an Altmer might have worked. But he went after the Vestige of all people.  
Viperish Night stares at him in shock. "She's..." he trails off.  
"You did not know?" Mentor asks. "Yes, your Egg-mother is a hero. She saved Nirn more than once, though you have glimpsed her wild darker side."  
"Then why?" Viperish Night says.  
"At first I thought it was some twisted form of revenge," Mentor says. "She has made multitudes angry at her. The Telvanni, Daedric Princes, necromancers, and so many more besides. Some were her enemies, some caught in the crossfire, some she went after because she thought it was right. The reasons go on and on."  
Viperish Night's claws clench and unclench. He did not understand how Swims-In-Silence had eggs with his Egg-mother, what kind of magic had to be involved to make that possible? And to not tell her that was his intent? What kind of monster would do that? Viperish Night was used to monsters by now. He was one now. But this...this was deeper waters than he cared to stare into. "Then why?" he asks.  
"She thinks herself invincible," Mentor says. "She got away with everything. Defeating the schemes of monsters, making a pact with a Daedric Prince to become a werewolf, wholesale slaughter of Dunmer, murder up and down the Gold Coast, with everything good and bad she did. No consequences. No one who can possibly strike back and harm her." Mentor pauses. "Viperish Night. He wanted to show her she was wrong. That she could be hunted. That she could be made to..."  
"Made to what?" Viperish Night says.  
"Never mind," Mentor says. "The point is, that is why we placed your egg in the past. The way that woman lives, who knows if she would be alive two or three decades from now. It's why he made a point to bring you to her notice as well."  
Viperish Night rises and stalks back and forth. Swims-In-Silence is a monster. He drove Viperish Night to madness, to a life of blood and screams of bloodthirsty crowds. Drove him to the edge of the abyss, the river where the only choice was to jump or surrender and die in chains. But this... he manipulated them both to such a sickening degree. "I will kill him." Viperish Night promises. "I will kill him and raise him from the dead, and kill him again. Over and over again!"  
His former mentor looks as if he wants to say something but stops. Viperish Night wheels on him, hissing angrily. "This is monstrous." Viperish Night snaps. "But hardly madness."  
"The edges of madness only, yes." Mentor agrees. "But he seems...more obsessed with both of you then he should be. I kept watch on Jeziasi when she was in Oblivion on his orders. Interfered risking Daedric Princes noticing us on his orders. Obsession descends into madness and I do not know where it will end." Mentor says.  
"With his death." Viperish Night says. "With everyone's death. Then no one can ever do anything like this again. No more pain and torture and all of this!" he snaps, his voice filled with agony.  
Mentor stands and regards Viperish Night. "You grow more like him every day, Viperish Night. Once, you were more like Jeziasi."  
Viperish Night focuses eyes filled with rage on his former mentor. "You are to blame too, for that." Viperish Night rasps. "I will..."  
"Yes, yes, kill me," Mentor says. "Try." and with that, he vanishes.  
Viperish Night slowly sinks to the ground and buries his head in his hands. It was easier before he knew all this. He wanted to know, needed to know. But the truth was utterly overwhelming and it was not even close to the truth behind everything. More than ever...he just wanted this madness to end. All of it. Tomorrow, Craglorn. Tomorrow he would find the Band and start his war on life itself. He raises his head, his eyes glinting with the utter depths of darkness and madness.

-Elden Root-  
Iveryni stands in front of the mirror looking at its reflective surface. Only her face stares back at her. Iveryni had been certain of much in her life. Certain the Telvanni were wrong. Certain she could make her way in this world. So certain. But she is not certain about this. About the voice that called for her, that offered help. It could not come without a price. Neither would becoming. She would have to change, and into what? Iveryni touches the mirror. The truth of it...she suspected the truth of it. It was not a path she would have ever thought of traveling down. Iveryni sighs and turns from the mirror. Perhaps it would not come to that. Softly-Speckled-Crab had said there were two paths. They had a chance to stop Viperish Night.

Theodyn cleans his sword and then just looks at it. Its glimmering steel surface made to defend and protect. He had almost forgotten that today. Almost lost himself to the darkness of revenge. But he would not falter again. His purpose? To stop Viperish Night and save Nirn. Theodyn smiles softly. If his sister could see him now. Getting ready for war to save life. He thinks she would be proud of him. Theodyn's thoughts turn to the mysterious girl and his skin prickles. If they failed... Theodyn swallows. What would he have to become? How much of himself would he lose? And in truth, would he even hesitate to take that path if the time came? If it meant saving Nirn, Theodyn did not think so. But he still was very afraid. 

Rufico stands before the door his hand frozen. He does not want to know this! But... he cannot stay a little kid forever, running away from the truth. And so he knocks on Razum-dar's door and Razum-dar answers.  
"You are not a pretty elf," Razum-dar says. "But this one expected you all the same, Rufico. Come in."  
Rufico walks in and sinks into a chair. He looks down as Razum-dar sits on the bed in front of him. "Coming home is not always easy," Razum-dar says. "Memories tend to stir."  
"The Zero Legion," Rufico starts. "Did they ever get punished?"  
"Razum-dar thinks that is not the question you really want to ask," Razum-dar says and then holds up a paw as Rufico frowns. "It's complicated. Some were given pardons, some discharged and retired. But other members of the Legion warranted more serious consequences. Imprisonments, executions, depending on the war crimes that were documented against them." Rufico is silent, hands folded as he looks to the floor. "You must ask this one, Rufico," Razum-dar says.  
"My Father," Rufico asks.  
"Cassitus Lexonus was killed before the Planemeld ended in a skirmish with the Dominion," Razum-dar tells him.  
"Alright then," Rufico says. "My mother."  
"Records indicate she died of natural causes shortly after the Planemeld ended," Razum-dar tells him.  
"My family was small. It was just the three of us." Rufico stands and turns to go, looking back at Razum-dar. "Some of the Zero Legion fled. They have not found all of them yet, have they?"  
"Rats leaving a sinking ship, there are many still out there in hiding," Razum-dar says as he narrows his eyes. "You are not planning on something foolish are you?"  
Rufico shakes his head no. "We will stop Viperish Night and I'll go back to being a simple scoundrel. I'll forget the Imperials for good."  
"And if we fail?" Razum-dar asks. "Not that we will mind you."  
A dark look passes over Rufico's face. "Let us not fail, Razum-dar. I may not be much, but I don't mind it," he turns and walks back to his room.

Rufico lies on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Life was much more simple before he stole that ring and went into THAT inn room. But...in a way, he is glad he did. He had been alone so long, running from his past. And now? Rufico blinks rapidly. His parents were dead. It was hardly surprising. Rufico feels a twinge and tries to ignore it then sighs. Damn his Father... his Mother was blind but she did not deserve to die alone. But it was what it was and now the past was well and truly behind him. 

Softly-Speckled-Crab chews on a piece of pilfered bread from her nest on the floor. It was nice being in a tree, Softly-Speckled-Crab felt very safe. A strange look crosses her face. Trees talk in the marsh, in a fashion. The home she had never known. Softly-Speckled-Crab was not even sure she wanted to know it. If they stopped Viperish Night tomorrow perhaps she would stay in Valenwood or perhaps go somewhere new. But not to the marsh. Softly-Speckled-Crab...is a little afraid of the marsh. Maybe a lot afraid of the marsh. Enough to keep her away unless they fail. Then...Softly-Speckled-Crab curls up. Failure would mean such suffering. They must not fail. Softly-Speckled-Crab trembles slightly. 

Once more to save Nirn. To kill someone beyond saving and possibly watch her allies...friends fall and die. Jeziasi glances at the door to her room. She's tempted to do what she did after the wars before she left Valenwood. But...that would not be fair to either of them. She had done it then and not regretted it...but she had not looked back either. Just left her dear friend behind and never once came back. She had not seen him till Summerset. Never once did she consider that she had hurt Razum-dar by leaving. Not even once. She just left her old life and everyone in it behind. As if it no longer mattered. From that point on she lived as free as she could...but the way she had done that. A frown crosses her face. She had left a lot behind in the dust and then when she was the most lost, she turned to a stranger instead of friends. One whose desire was more than just a brief liaison. He hunted her and she let him. Viperish Night was the result...and he had suffered for it, and now was causing all of Nirn to suffer. There was no way she could see to reach him, to save him. And so all she could do was end his pain...before he made all of Nirn feel it.

Razum-dar almost wishes Jeziasi would come to him. Alas, it had just been Rufico as he suspected. Perhaps it was better she had not come. Razum-dar is in a troubled state. He had reported to Queen Ayrenn tonight. He still kept Jeziasi's secrets to himself but he had to report the rest. Jeziasi could have killed Viperish Night today and ended this. He trusted her not to hesitate tomorrow but this had troubled his Queen.

_Queen Ayrenn sits as Razum-dar finishes his report. She is silent and pondering for some time. "Much about this troubles me, Raz. We owe Jeziasi much, yet I must ask was she a willing part of Swims-In-Silence's plans?"  
"The Jeziasi I know would never be apart of such a thing. This one is certain Swims-in-Silence deceived her. My Queen, you must see this."  
"I do, Raz," she answers. "And I also see how it would be possible. You see this too." At Razum-dar's bristling, she holds up a hand. "She could have ended the threat today. I understand why she may not have. I can accept this and your word it will not happen again. That she is not a willing part of this dark scheme."  
"Jeziasi will not hesitate again, my Queen," Razum-dar promises. "If this one can, this one will end Viperish Night himself. It should not be her task." _

Razum-dar sighs and starts to head to bed, then growls and heads out of his room instead. He pads to Jeziasi's room, stopping right in front of it. "What is this one doing?" he asks himself and leans against it.  
Jeziasi rises as she hears a soft voice just outside her door. She moves to it and leans against it. "I will not open this door, my friend," she says. "Anymore then will you knock. You know why."  
"This one knows." Raz says. "You are a wild thing, my friend. Perhaps Raz wished for a time for you to be his wild thing. Such a silly thought."  
"I left and never looked back. That is not the kind of creature you want to keep." Jeziasi says. "I was cruel, and I never even thought twice about it. I don't know what is wrong with me."  
"You are wild," Raz says. "Perhaps it was the only way you could leave the wars behind you. This one cannot fault you for that."  
Jeziasi closes her eyes. "Paths taken and not taken. We cannot go backward, Raz. Our paths are not meant to be as one."  
"This one knows that," Raz says. "But one can miss what has been lost. You must try to stay in contact after this is over, my friend. Raz does not want to think of you lost again."  
"I will try," Jeziasi says. "Now go to bed. It won't help if we are both up all night pondering what-ifs."  
Raz moves away from the door. "This one will hold you to that promise," he says as he pads off to his room.  
Jeziasi moves from the door to her bed. Tomorrow... she would want to run again after she did what she had to do tomorrow. But perhaps she should try not to.


	46. Act 3 - Road to Ruin

-Craglorn - The Howling Sepulchers -  
Birds sing their song and the grass is green and lush underfoot, and the path slopes upwards to high crags. Viperish Night's eyes grace the skies above where vultures and harpies soar. He rests one clawed hand against a large rock. Above them in The Howling Sepulchers, the dead are awake. He can feel them and he will be able to control them when he needs to. They are so very restless as if drawn here by something dark and powerful. Viperish Night smiles, he too can feel it. An ancient power long since hidden from the world. Waiting for him. Viperish Night walks upward with Tyranius following by his side.  
The sky darkens as they rise further up and Tyranius moves to a bridge. He nudges it with his foot. Its made of wood and ropes that span the canyons below the crags. "Someone's maintained them," Tyranius says.  
Viperish Night touches the rope. "Magic," he hisses. "Someone has used this place in recent times. But now all I can sense is the dead." Viperish Night walks across the bridge and Tyranius follows. At the end of the bridge is a rock face with a cave-like opening looming before them. It is short and the sky can easily be seen on the other side. Two draugr hiss as the two approaches and Viperish Night holds up his staff and they still. "Attack anyone else that passes," Viperish Night commands them. Viperish Night and Tyranius pass through and the howl of wolfs meet them. Viperish Night tilts his head thinking only the dead lurked here, perhaps he was mistaken.  
The wolves stalk across the small field at the end of the tunnel but they too are among the dead. Rotting flesh and dirty fur with arrows sticking out of their backs. They quiet for Viperish Night as well and he touches one lightly on the head before continuing.  
Tyranius laughs. "They won't follow us so easily," he says.  
Viperish Night glances at Tyranius. He knows they will come, Viperish Night had meant to scour the shop of life to send the soul beyond their reach but he had been interrupted. "I will raise more," Viperish Night says as his staff glows and more draugr erupts from the ground. He continues through another of the strange tunnels and across yet another bridge. This one has harpies swooping down upon their heads.  
"Damn vermin," Tyranius says as he swings the staff upward, cutting the harpies down to fall to the canyon below. The bridge shakes and Viperish Night looks back and raises a claw. The harpies fly back up as zombies, settling on the bridge to guard it against pursuit.  
The sky darkens further as a rumble of thunder crashes in the heavens below, followed by a bright flash of lightning. The rain starts to fall as they finish crossing the bridge and Viperish Night slams his staff down and even more Draugr rise along with various animal skeletons. A twisted grin crosses his face. They can follow if they like. They may just get torn to pieces in the process. Viperish Night smirks and they continue into another tunnel but this one leads to a large cave lit with everlasting braisers. A hole in the ceiling allows rain to pour in but it evaporates before it ever touches the ground. Funeral urns and sarcophagus line the room and in the middle is a massive ritual circle surrounded by more sarcophagus, though the markings are starting to fade. Viperish Night kneels by it, his claws gracing the surface of the rock. "I can feel the bones of something enormous." Viperish Night hisses as he pours necromantic energy into the ground but the bones refuse his call. He tilts his head and ceases, standing to look around. Anyone could find this place...what he is looking for is somewhere else. Somewhere hidden. Viperish Night closes his eyes briefly and snaps them open, heading toward the back of the cave, drawn by a haunting song. His hand brushes against one of the sarcophagus and he hisses at it. Tyranius grabs the sarcophagus and heaves it out of the way. A door cut out of the stone is hidden beneath. Tyranius tries to open it and fails. He bangs his fist against it. Viperish Night kneels and his claws rip away countless years of dirt and dust to reveal an inscription written in an ancient language. Viperish Night runs his claws over it. It's some kind of warning, though he cannot read it. He stands and presses his claws against the door and the door opens. So...it will open but only for him. "I'll guard out here," Tyranius says glancing in. "I rather not get murdered by an ancient curse." Viperish Night nods and moves through the door into what lies beyond.

At the entrance to the Howling Sepulchers, another group has appeared from the land below. Rufico is staring at the bridge across the small field. "We have to cross that?" Rufico says.  
Theodyn looks around and then at the others. "Is he here, or did we beat him here?" he asks  
Softly-Speckled-Crab kneels and her claws scrape against the dirt and grass. Heavy boot prints of a man in full armor and the clawed prints of an Argonian.  
Razum-dar inspects them as well. "This one thinks Viperish Night has lost one of his pets," Razum-dar notes. "Zirasha was not with him in the Imperial city and she does not seem to be here either."  
Theodyn grips his sword. "We can deal with two of them," he says.  
"And the horde of undead," Rufico adds helpfully.  
Theodyn glares at him. "Thanks, now I'm scared again."  
"Needed the company," Rufico says with a shrug.  
At the howls of wolfs Jeziasi growls, "Not natural wolfs," she says.  
"He must be expecting us," Iveryni says glancing around. "How are we to fight through all the undead to stop him? We will fail that way."  
Jeziasi glances around and a small smile crosses her face. Instead of moving across the grass to the bridge she moves to a rocky incline and starts to climb it. "There is another path here," she says. "It should take us in the same direction, just a different route."  
Razum-dar heads after her. "It is not easy to spot either. This one thinks we got lucky with this."  
The rest of the group follows and once they get beyond the rocks all that lies in front of them are rocks and grassy fields. This way seems to be solid, without the need for bridges to span the lengths between. Soon enough they come across a huge door and Iveryni approaches it, placing her hand against it and reading the inscription. "Dragon Priest's tomb." she breaths.  
"Those are nasty little things," Razum-dar says. "Is this where Viperish Night has gone to? Razum-dar sees no draugr."  
Iveryni shakes her head. "It is sealed. Either we beat Viperish Night here or what he wants is further on."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves ahead of the rest her eyes to the north-west. "It's over there," Softly-Speckled-Crab says with a shiver. "A dark and twisted thing that should never have been."  
"Oh, that just makes me feel so much better, Softly-Speckled-Crab!" Rufico says as the group once more moves on following Softly-Speckled-Crab across the high plain to a long bridge that ends in a tunnel leading to a cave.  
"This is it," Softly-Speckled-Crab says softly as she reaches for her staff, she is a healer but Iveryni has taught her some basic defensive spells. Everyone draws their weapons and crosses the bridge and quietly enters the cave.  
Jeziasi looks around, there are indeed two entrances to this cave, though this one is hidden behind tall rocks. Knives in hand she leads the group to the back, where a door lies open in the rock face. "Why is there no Draugr?" she whispers.  
Iveryni moves to the door and kneels as the rest guard her, watching for any sign of danger.  
"Can you read it?" Razum-dar says, his eyes darting all around the cave as he keeps careful watch.  
"Give me a moment...yes," Iveryni says, and then she gasps. "The scrolls missing piece this is it. This is the curse upon it." her fingers trace the ancient words. "A Hybrid Argonian created from a willing union of life and death, only they can wield The Band of T'zlich. All others who try will be eradicated, their souls forever lost to the dark."  
Jeziasi pales. Willing union...she truly had to bond with Swims-In-Silence. It...was her fault. "I..." she says.  
Razum-dar risks a glance at Jeziasi before focusing his eyes outward again. "Jeziasi you could not of known. We will fix this, here today."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab places a hand on Jeziasi's shoulder. "Razum-dar is right. We can end this here if that is your wish," she says.  
Jeziasi's eyes reflect sadness in the flicking light and then they turn hard and cold. "Yes," she says. "It is the only way now."

"Even I find that cold." a powerful voice has Jeziasi spinning around and the rest tensing. Tyranius moves from behind a sarcophagus, his scythe in his hands. "You, you, you..." Tyranius says pointing to each of them in turn. "Die now. Not her though," he adds as he glances at Jeziasi.  
"Razum-dar is amused you think you can take us all on," Razum-dar says as he advances on Tyranius with his sword drawn. Theodyn fans out to the left with his sword and Rufico with his dagger to the right. Iveryni rises with staff in hand and Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to the back of the group for support.  
"Six against one," Rufico says. "I like our odds. 

-Inner Chamber-  
The darkness is all-consuming beyond the door as if the light is forbidden from penetrating the tunnel cut out of rock. As Viperish Night feels his way blue necromantic energy streaks across the rocks leading him deeper. The tunnel lets out in a small room. On a pedestal lies a black armband glowing with blue runes. Viperish Night pauses, his eyes locked on it. This will give him what he wants. His pain and anger will cover this world and silence the madness. His claws move to it and suddenly he jerks them back as the glowing gold spirit of an elder mage appears before him. The spirit regards him with heavy eyes. "So...the day we feared has come to pass. I thought it impossible, but of course, if it had been the curse would have never taken to the band." His eyes move over Viperish Night. "So full of pain, fury, and hatred. It's driven you to this madness. The King's son coveted power, but you covet death. It is worse than I could have ever feared."  
Viperish Night hisses. "You will stop me then?" Viperish Night raises his staff, necromantic energy flowing down it.  
"I cannot," the mage says. "I bound my spirit to this place in hopes I could, but the band corrupted everything here. I am now powerless, all I can do is pled with you, not to do this."  
"You are not the first to ask." Viperish Night says. "I did not listen to my Egg-mother. I will not listen to you," he moves closer to the band his claws once more reaching for it.  
"One moment," the mage says, and as Viperish Night glances at him the mage's eyes pierce into his. "I cannot stop you, I cannot dissuade you, so all I ask is this. Think of what it means when the cost is the souls of those who die by the undead raised by the Band of T'zlich."  
"They...are destroyed?" Viperish Night says. It is enough to pause him for a moment for he briefly thinks of a Khajiit and the moons.  
"No," the mage answers. As Viperish Night waits for clarification, the mage shakes his "I do not know the answer to that. I spend a lifetime trying to find that question out, and the question of who gave the King's mage the knowledge to make this. All I found out is they do not cease to be." his eyes once more regard Viperish Night. "This is the path you want then," he says with great regret.  
Viperish Night's claws wrap around the band and he pulls it from its resting place and clasps it to his left bicep. "The living are mad. I will end their suffering. All of them." madness glimmers in his eyes.  
The mage bows his head as he starts to fade. "My task is done, and I have failed. One final piece of advice for you, the one who would end Nirn. Look inside yourself and see what you see. You may know all of who you are, but you may not. There may be something hidden beneath your river." the mage vanishes, his soul departing from this world after untold time guarding the band.  
Viperish Night's eyes glimmer as he tries to process the mage's words before dismissing them for he feels the living outside this small cave. His Egg-mother and her cat have come, as well as the would-be heroes. They are too late. Viperish Night grins as he once more reaches for the enormous bones beneath the cavern's floor and this time they start to answer, slowly. Viperish Night stalks down the tunnel.

Viperish Night gazes out from the tunnel. Tyranius is faced off against six. So that is how many they have sent to stop him? Six people, instead of an army? He laughs as he steps out. "No," Viperish Night hisses. "Six against multitude." The dead in the chamber stir and rises from their sarcophagus even as the cave starts to shake. The dead shriek and run at the heroes as the cave shakes hard and rocks start to fall from the walls and the ceiling sending everyone scattering. Viperish Night runs for the entrance as the dead surge on the heroes with Tyranius on his tail.  
"Do not let him escape, he has the band," Razum-dar growls as the group dodges rocks as they run to intercept Viperish Night.  
Jeziasi pulls ahead of the others the entrance in her sights when a huge rock slams down in front of her sending her flying backward. Iveryni glances at Jeziasi before speeding ahead to burst out of the cave after Viperish Night and Tyranius. "Iveryni, dodge!" Theodyn screams and Iveryni dives to the ground as Tyranius swerves around, nearly taking her head off with a mighty swing from his scythe. Theodyn leaps at him, blade crashing against the next swing. "Get Viperish Night and the band," Theodyn says. Iveryni nods and resumes the chase. 

The bridge is up ahead and Viperish Night is very near it. Iveryni's staff glows and a burst of wind sends her flying in the air to land in front of the bridge and in front of Viperish Night. "There is little dead in this spot for you to raise," Iveryni says as she flings her staff out and a fireball burst rains down onto Viperish Night.  
"As if that is the only thing I can do!" Viperish Night snarls as his staff crackles with the burst of lightning bolts blocking the storm of fire. She is right, the dead in the cave is nearly buried, the giant beast will take longer to burst from its grave and the rest of the dead are beyond the bridge. There are so very many. Viperish Night thought he could feel them all before, but now? Now? It threatened to overwhelm him, feeling this many dead. It would take time to master, and time was not on his side at this moment. But they would not stop him. No one would. Viperish Night throws his staff out and lightning bolts explode around Iveryni and it's all she can do to block them and keep from being incinerated by the white-hot bursts of power. Iveryni slams her staff down and a wave of fire erupts toward Viperish Night, consuming the last of the bolts and threatening to consume him as well. Viperish Night hisses and ice shards fly in every direction as he furiously spins his staff against the flames. The fire sputters and goes out and Viperish Night slams his staff down and a blinding flash of lightning streaks past Iveryni blinding her. Viperish Night leaps at Iveryni and Iveryni holds up her staff her eyes watering from the bolt. Viperish Night slams his staff down on Iveryni's and it shatters. Iveryni stumbles backward as Viperish Night drops his staff. "No one will ever stop me." Viperish Night tells her. His claws flash out and tear across her throat. Iveryni falls backward hitting the ground hard as she struggles to breathe. Viperish Night scoops his staff up and runs across the bridge.

"Iveryni!" Theodyn screams before he dives to the side, nearly getting sliced in half by his hesitation. Razum-dar had burst from the cave after Iveryni had sped after Viperish Night and he and Theodyn had been keeping Tyranius at bay. Rufico and Softly-Speckled-Crab had been digging Jeziasi out of the cave-in that had blocked their exit.  
Razum-dar comes under Tyranius's next blow and grabs the Imperial's arm with his, digging his claws in. "Go!" Razum-dar snaps at Theodyn. "Stop Viperish Night." Razum-dar turns his attention back on Tyranius, giving the beast a grin as Tyranius wrestles his scythe from Razum-dar's grip.  
Theodyn runs past Tyranius, and in truth is all he wants to do is stop by Iveryni's side. But if he does that, they all will fail. And so he races past her after Viperish Night who's running across the bridge.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab bursts from the cave and runs past the fight to fall by Iveryni's side, hands pressed against her throat, fighting to keep her alive. "Stay with me," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "You must, you know you must!" Iveryni's eyes threaten to close and she tries to keep them open, tries to keep them locked onto Softly-Speckled-Crab. 

Jeziasi and Rufico burst from the cave and Jeziasi leaps onto Tyranius, who has just wrestled his scythe free and is about to swing it at Razum-dar. Her knifes streak against her armor as she tries to find an opening, a weak spot. Tyranius snarls and grabs her throwing her to the ground as Rufico dives against his legs and sends him crashing down. Razum-dar leaps up and starts to go after Theodyn and Viperish Night but Tyranius leaps up and slams a fist into his head sending him crashing against the ground.

Too fast, he's going to escape! Theodyn thinks, his sword tight in his hand. But a harpy chooses that moment to dive down from the sky, crashing into Viperish Night and sending him crashing against the bridge ropes. Theodyn runs faster, he knows he can catch up now. He can stop this. Viperish Night is stumbling to his feet and his eyes lock onto Theodyn. But before Theodyn can catch up a wave of blood-red mist slams into Theodyn sending him tumbling and nearly off the bridge. Theodyn looks up to see the mist manifest into a female form. Her skin is so pale with dark corrupted veins and her eyes are nearly white surrounded by crimson. "Zirasha," Theodyn breaths as he staggers to his feet. But not as she had been last time he saw her. This Zirasha...is something altogether different.  
Zirasha smiles at him, fangs glimmering. "Little Breton." Zirasha hisses. "I wanted to feast on your Imperial friend first, but you'll do as an appetizer."

Tyranius slams the scythe down and Jeziasi spins out of the way. Her eyes flash golden as she launches a furious attack on him with her knives. His armor is something altogether different than she's ever seen and her knives cannot pierce it. She snarls at him and her eyes shift to the golden glow of the wolf as Razum-dar staggers up and dives at Tyranius, knocking him to the ground. "Jeziasi," Razum-dar snaps. "Go after Viperish Night." Jeziasi looks at him briefly. "Theodyn is in trouble and you are the only one fast enough now." Jeziasi spins and runs to the bridge leaping over Softly-Speckled-Crab and Iveryni. Tyranius throws Razum-dar off again and spins to deal with Rufico who barely dodges. Razum-dar's sword flings out again Tyranius spins to block it. Razum-dar wanted to go after Viperish Night. Wanted to spare Jeziasi this, but things went bad far too quickly for that.  
Jeziasi launches off the bridge, leaping over Zirasha and Theodyn. Her eyes look back at Theodyn. "I can take her," Theodyn says. "Get Viperish Night. I'm not as fast as you. I would never catch up now." Jeziasi nods and the wolf flows over her as she takes to four legs and races across the bridge after Viperish Night who has reached the other side and is racing across the grassy field.

"You will regret that," Zirasha says to Theodyn. "You cannot beat me, you don't even have a chance!" Zirasha leaps at him with unnatural speed and Theodyn tries to bring the sword up against her but she bursts into mist and reappears behind him, her claws flashing down to rend through his armor and back. Theodyn yells and drops to the ground, rolling out of the way as she pounces down, the bridge shaking violently. Theodyn charges her but once more she moves at a speed he cannot match and he feels her claws rip through armor and flesh over and over until he falls to his knees with the world spinning around him. His sword slips from his grip and falls into the canyon below. Theodyn looks up at Zirasha with frightened but determined eyes. "Jeziasi will stop him," he tells her.  
Zirasha stares down at him with a hungry glare and laughs. "You won't be around to see if that's true," she tells him as she leaps upon him, her fangs tearing into his shoulder. Theodyn screams as she rends his flesh, devouring his blood.

Tyranius viciously knocks Rufico to the ground. "You think you can pierce this armor? It's infused with Daedric magic, you idiots. Takes more than you got." His scythe slams down at Rufico and Razum-dar dives to the side and pushes him out of the way as the blade tears through Razum-dar's back dropping him to the ground.  
Rufico staggers up, his dagger is useless against Tyranius. He's useless. Still, he gets back up, still, he stalks toward Tyranius again until Theodyn's heart wrenching scream stops him cold. "Theodyn," Rufico breaths and goes pale as he turns and races across the bridge passing by Softly-Speckled-Crab and Iveryni and skidding to a halt as Zirasha rises and turns from Theodyn, blood dripping from her face. "Your next, Imperial," she hisses, her demonic eyes sending bolts of fear through Rufico and he finds he's frozen by her vamperic gaze.  
Tyranius backs away from Razum-dar who has struggled to his feet, blood pouring from his back. He glances at the other side of the bridge, Razum-dar's eyes follow Tyranius's gaze as they stop the fight to watch the chase between Viperish Night and the transformed Jeziasi.  
Zirasha hisses low. "Games almost over for the day," she says. She should help Viperish Night, but she so very much wants to kill Rufico. She pauses and then leaps from the bridge and becomes mist. As fast as she can move, she doubts she can catch up to them in time.  
Rufico falls to Theodyn's side, pressing his hands against Theodyn's shoulder. He's still breathing, somehow he's still alive. "Come on, don't die on me now," Rufico says. "You stupid idiot." Theodyn looks up at him weakly. "That's right, stay here," Rufico commands him.

Jeziasi speeds after Viperish Night as he swerves to the right heading straight for the cliff edge. She's faster than him now and not even the occasional Draugr can slow her. The world seems to slow down as her paws pound on the ground. _Finish your hunt. Prove you are no longer prey._ The words echo through her head as she prepares to leap and end this and save Nirn. To...kill Viperish Night. And as that last thought echos through her head, Jeziasi hesitates for one brief moment and at that moment the wolf is pulled from her in a blinding flash of pain and she crashes and rolls across the grass and rocks as Viperish Night leaps from the cliff. Jeziasi leaps up as an unholy roar shakes the crags and an enormous dragon skeleton rises from the canyon. Viperish Night lands on its back and his shoulders are tense as he struggles to control the dragon and his back is to Jeziasi. Jeziasi takes one of her knifes and prepares to throw it. Viperish Night is distracted and there is no way she can miss. She can end this nightmare and save Nirn as she has always done. The knife wavers and then slips from Jeziasi's hand to clatter on the rocks. Viperish Night turns to see Jeziasi looking up at him and confusion crosses his face. She...let him go? Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock as the dragon turns from the cliff and takes him away from Jeziasi and the crags.  
Tyranius throws his head back and laughs. "We win!" he says as he uses a ring to open a portal, escaping as well. A cloud of mist streaks from the cliff heading in the direction the dragon and Viperish Night went.  
Razum-dar stands there in shock, blood still dripping from his back. His eyes are razor-sharp, but he could not have seen what he thinks he saw. She is a distance away, he must be mistaken. "Damn it," he snarls and his paw goes to an orb on his belt, he throws it to the ground.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab briefly looks up from Iveryni and her eyes fill with anguish. Viperish Night is gone. It was not Jeziasi's wish to stop him. Softly-Speckled-Crab shudders slightly. She knew this day would hinge on the single actions of someone. She had been shown that much but had not known who. Though...she had suspected it was Jeziasi. She wanted to tell Razum-dar, but the lovely lady told her she must not mention it to him or anyone else. Must let things play out as they would.

Jeziasi stares out in the distance watching the skeleton dragon carry Viperish Night away. For the first time, she hesitated. For the first time, she failed to do what she should have done. A lost expression crosses her eyes as she turns and walks across the bridge. She stops as Rufico looks up at her, Theodyn's eyes are closed and he's barely breathing. She tries to help Rufico but he pushes her away and picks up Theodyn himself, struggling across the bridge with him to lay him in the grass besides Iveryni. Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to Theodyn, having done all she can for Iveryni, who's also lapsed into unconsciousness. Jeziasi looks down at Iveryni in horror and then at Softly-Speckled-Crab.  
"They will not understand," Softly-Speckled-Crab sadly says. "I do, but I wish you had...I do not wish anothers death, but...it will cause so many more deaths than just his now." Jeziasi turns from her unable to speak and moves a distance away from everyone.  
Portals suddenly snap open near the half-destroyed cave spilling out mage and fighters guild members, and Thalmor soldiers. Razum-dar directs the mage's to Iveryni and Theodyn before moving to Jeziasi to speak to her privately. Jeziasi stares at him and tries to speak, "I..."  
Razum-dar stands in front of her a confused expression on his face. "Jeziasi..." he trails off to gaze at the Dominion's presence then back to Jeziasi. "What happened, my friend? You had him, then you lost your form. This one saw that much clearly," he pauses for a moment the confused expression deepens. "This one is not sure what he saw next."  
Jeziasi can see from his eyes he knows what he saw. But he wants her to tell him. Tell him how she failed, why. "I hesitated and lost my wolf. I did not mean to hesitate, Raz. But I had my knife, he was struggling against holding that dragon under his control. He was overwhelmed," she falls silent and looks utterly lost. "There was no chance I would have missed. I just...did not throw the knife. I let Viperish Night escape."  
Razum-dar's expression hardens. "What have you done Jeziasi? You know what he will do with the band! There may be no stopping him now."  
Jeziasi's eyes turn to the four young heroes that came here with them. The mages have put Theodyn and Iveryni on stretchers and are taking them through the portal followed by Rufico and Softly-Speckled-Crab. She looks back to Razum-dar unable to speak.  
"Jeziasi, you must explain this!" Razum-dar urgently says. "Now!"  
"The last thing he would have seen was his Egg-mother killing him, Raz. I thought I could do this, but I could not." Jeziasi says. "I did not mean for this to happen! Any of it."  
Anger crosses Razum-dar's eyes. "This one knows it was much to ask of you, too much. But Jeziasi! He will drown the world in blood and death. You have never hesitated. You barely know him and both times he tried to murder you. Viperish Night is just some twisted abomination, you must know this!" Razum-dar snaps.  
Jeziasi is silent, unable to explain that when she looked into Viperish Night's eyes there had been a soul looking back at her. Damaged and lost perhaps beyond all recovery, but it was there. He was not just an abomination Swims-In-Silence made.  
"Tell me this will not happen again, Jeziasi," Razum-dar asks. Jeziasi is silent and looks away from him. Razum-dar looks at her for a long moment and turns his back. "You leave me no choice, old friend. This one is deeply sorry." Razum-dar walks to the commander of the Thalmor who walks to meet him.  
"We came when you summoned us, Razum-dar. Please report," she asks of him.  
"We have failed, Commander Joraire," Razum-dar says, explaining what happened pausing before finishing to glance at Jeziasi.  
Commander Joraire gives him a look as she glances at Jeziasi as well. She had seen them talking as she was coordinating efforts. And now Razum-dar was hesitating. "You need to report how this happened, Razum-dar." At Razum-dar's silence, her expression hardens. "You are the Queen's Eye, report!" she snaps.  
"Jeziasi let Viperish Night escape," Razum-dar says.  
"What?" Commander Joraire says. "Are you sure, Razum-dar? This is very serious."  
"This one is sure, and she admitted as much," Razum-dar says. "In her werewolf form, she is faster than Viperish Night. She could have ended it with a single leap." Commander Joraire looks startled as do others in hearing range. Jeziasi's head snaps up and she stares at Razum-dar in shock. Razum-dar continues. "Viperish Night was distracted trying to control a dragon skeleton he lept upon. Jeziasi had a second opportunity to kill him, and being a trained assassin her blade would not have missed. But she dropped the knife and let him escape instead."  
Jeziasi takes a step back in disbelief, her eyes staring at her friend. Commander Joraire turns and approaches Jeziasi. "Do you deny what Razum-dar reported?" she asks Jeziasi.  
Jeziasi's eyes turn to Commander Joraire and she shakes her head no.  
"We will have to sort this out back in Elden Root, then. You can plead your reasons there," Commander Joraire tells her as she signals for the Thalmor. "Place her under arrest."  
Jeziasi growls softly as the Thalmor approaches her. "Raz!" Jeziasi snaps. "I could not do this. You know I tried. Get them to back off."  
Razum-dar looks at Jeziasi. "This one is sorry, my friend. Come quietly, and we will sort this out." At Jeziasi's angry glance Razum-dar softly sighs. "Queen Ayrenn fears you may have been a willing participant in Swims-In-Silence's plans. Razum-dar told her this could not be true and she agreed. But what you failed to do here today... you will be suspected for this." A look of pain crosses Razum-dar's eyes before he hides it. "Razum-dar cannot hide this for you, my friend. This one cannot hide any of your secrets any longer. No matter your reasons."  
"Raz..." Jeziasi says one last time.  
"Do not fight them, Jeziasi. This one knows you could. Come back and explain things." Razum-dar asks her.  
"Listen to Razum-dar," Commander Joraire says. "Do not add resisting arrest to your crimes."  
Jeziasi snarls, pain flashing through her eyes. "Crimes?" she asks bewildered.  
"Aiding a necromancer and if Swims-In-Silence is one as well then that is twice fold." Commander Joraire states.  
Jeziasi stares at her, back at Razum-dar, then at the Thalmor which have surrounded her. They seek to trap her, cage her. Razum-dar, he betrayed her, but has she betrayed him? Everyone? She starts breathing harder as everything that has happened since she left Oblivion catches up with her. Jeziasi's eyes turn golden and the wolf explodes from the mer as she howls and sends the Thalmor scattering.  
"Jeziasi, no!" Razum-dar cries out as the Thalmor coordinates and comes at her from every direction. Jeziasi growls and slams into the nearest one sending them flying. Another comes from behind her and she backhands them sending them tumbling over the cliff.  
"Put her down now!" Commander Joraire snaps. The Thalmor's blades come out and Jeziasi lowers her head sending several scattering across the grass. Another by her side pierces her side with his sword and Jeziasi howls and turns on him snapping jaws around his neck crushing it. She then spins around to knock more away dangerously close to the cliff's edge.  
Razum-dar darts past Commander Joraire and dives to the ground rolling across the grass until he's in front of Jeziasi. He leaps up and opens his jaws wide growling at her in an angry rumble. "Stop this, Jeziasi! They are going to KILL you!" Razum-dar stares up into Jeziasi's savage ones. "You will have to kill this one to escape, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi hesitates and at last, she lowers her claws. Once more she has hesitated in the hunt and once more the pain surges through her. She throws back her head and howls in agony as the wolf retreats. Jeziasi drops to the ground breathing hard, head down and her hair hanging in front of her face. "Please don't let them do this, Raz." she pleads.  
Razum-dar shakes his head as one of the remaining Thalmor binds her wrists. "If you went peacefully this one could have done something!" Razum-dar says. "Queen Ayrenn may have understood that we asked too much of you! That you letting Viperish Night go was not malicious." Razum-dar falls silent and just stares helplessly at Jeziasi. "You murdered Thalmor soldiers, Jeziasi. This one can not help you anymore."  
The Thalmor yank Jeziasi up and she glances up once to look at Razum-dar before lowering her head again and allowing them to lead her through the portal.  
"You have a lot to explain to Queen Ayrenn, Razum-dar." Commander Joraire says as she walks toward the portal, Razum-dar and the remaining Thalmor following behind. Razum-dar lowers his head. He knows...and he knows this will not end well for any of them.


	47. Act 3 - The Choices we Make

-Elden Root-  
Softly-Speckled-Crab stands at the entrance to the infirmary. Iveryni rests in a bed, the Dunmer looking paler then she should ever look. The jagged claw tears had been bandaged but the damage was severe and Iveryni had lost so much blood. The healers did not know if she would ever wake again. Softly-Speckled-Crab knows Iveryni will though, in time. If she walks down her path. Softly-Speckled-Crab lowers her head, knowing it is almost time to walk down her path. So very afraid of the marsh, so very afraid of her path.  
A light polite cough and Softly-Speckled-Crab turns to see an Argonian dressed in tribal style standing in the hallway. His scales are grey with a silver starry pattern. "I am Jeer-Tei of the Star-song tribe," he announces. "I have been sent by our tribe's elders to bring you home."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab nods. There is no other way, and she never had any intention of walking a different path, no matter her fear. She had at one point thought her path lay with the lovely lady, but she had merely needed Softly-Speckled-Crab to be her prophet of sorts for a time. Softly-Speckled-Crab's true path was with the Hist. "I am scared," she admits. "I have never been to the marsh, never heard the Hist speak."  
Jeer-Tei smiles at her. "The Hist will welcome you, you are needed Softly-Speckled-Crab."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab nods and takes one last look at Iveryni. She would miss her friends but it would be harder to say goodbye. They would meet again, although they would be so far from who they were now it would be like meeting anew. She turns and walks with Jeer-Tei.

Fire, lightning, ice. Destruction magic clashing in the fiercest battle Iveryni had ever known. The dazzling blinding bolt that missed her, the sound of her staff shattering and then searing pain as Viperish Night ripped her throat out and she fell. Tried to keep her eyes on Softly-Speckled-Crab but in the end, the world grew so cold and darkness claimed her utterly.  
And now? Now she could not rise from the darkness. Now there was no way out. Iveryni knew she was grievously wounded and her body had lost too much blood to wake. So she was cast down here in the dark. Iveryni trembles afraid and knows in her heart they failed. Despair courses through her for a few moments before she remembers the eyes in the mirror and she rises, knowing what she must do. "I require aid," Iveryni says, her voice ringing out in the darkness.  
"Yes Iveryni Rathnil, you do. I will give you the help you require. All you have to do is climb and commit yourself to this path."  
Iveryni nods. Her body is still but her mind is strong. She will get stronger and return to it in time. "May I ask a question first?" she asks.  
"Ask, Iveryni Rathnil."  
"I know who you are," Iveryni says. "I knew it the moment you spoke to me when I was seeking the Vestige. The voice I heard did not come from some far-away place," she pauses.  
"But that is not your question."  
"Correct, to the point, why would you help with this?" Iveryni asks.  
"Viperish Night wishes to remake the world. I do not care for his vision of a new dawn. It would only cause stagnation, a never-changing void. Trust me to aid you in preventing this, I will help you become strong enough to defeat him." Iveryni's eyes narrow and the voice laughs. "It is too late to turn back now Iveryni Rathnil. At the very least, I do not desire the death of all the living, and I have my own plans for Nirn."  
"Very well," Iveryni says. "I will accept your dark path for the moment, to stop Viperish Night's."  
The darkness breaks with a shimmer of crimson light and a staircase rises upward. Iveryni steps on the first step. There is no going back and there will be no returning to who she once was and so she rises upward. It gets hotter the further she goes and when she reaches the top the door swings open with a blast of intense heat. Iveryni steps out without a moment's hesitation.

Rufico sits by Theodyn's beside. Theodyn is so pale and hardly seems to be breathing. "I am so damn useless," Rufico says bitterly. He could hardly do anything today. He had been practicing with Theodyn but he was no warrior. Theodyn was a natural swordsman. Someday he was going to be one of the best...if he even survived. But Rufico? Nothing and now... Rufico swallows before touching Theodyn's hand. "Come back to us," Rufico says. "I'll be back when I'm something other than a useless scoundrel." Rufico rises and walks out of Theodyn's private infirmity room. He glances at the guard posted. Rufico pushes away the worry and walks away.  
Just outside Elden Root a shady-looking Bosmer is leaning against a tree and Rufico walks over to him passing him a few gold coins, the Bosmer passes him a small note. "Your sure?" Rufico asks.  
The Bosmer nods. "Imperial hiding out in Valenwood, I checked the list. Gavixto Hasio is on the run from the Imperial capital for war crimes. He is Zero Legion." The Bosmer turns. "Not sure what you want with him, and I do not want to know." he takes off and Rufico looks at the note and heads out.  
It's a small Bosmer tree-house that's rented out to those who can pay. Rufico has little trouble getting in and he settles in a chair to wait. An hour later the door opens and an imperial man comes in, wearing nondescript clothes with a fugitive look in his eyes. He looks so normal, so harmless. A different story when the legion wore full armor with skull masks. The man lights a lamp and startles when he sees Rufico. "What do you want?" Gavixto says gruffly.  
Rufico shrugs. "To be a no-good scoundrel drifting through life," Rufico says. "Alas, that is not meant to be. Fate and all that nonsense."  
Gavixto predictably goes for a knife and Rufico sighs and stands. "I have no interest in turning you in, Gavixto Hasio," Rufico says. "I jussssst want a little gold for it. You see? Simple."  
Gavixto looks at Rufico as if he's slightly mad and then grins. "Sure you little snot. Why not?"  
That grin. Rufico acts like he's buying it and moves closer to Gavixto. The second Gavixto's hand goes for his knife Rufico drops his knife from his sleeve into his hand and in a second it's buried in Gavixto's throat. Gavixto blinks once before falling backward with a crash. The blood flows onto the floor as he expires.  
"Slight of hand," Rufico says staring down at Gavixto's open dead eyes. That...had been easier than he would have thought. Years of resentment let him strike without hesitation.  
Darkness gathers in the corner and a hooded figure steps out. Rufico startles. He had been expecting it, but not this fast. "That was quick," he says.  
"We have been waiting for you, Rufico Lexonus."  
That voice, Rufico's eyes widen slightly. "You are the one from Mournhold," he says, remembering how he and Theodyn had been caught spying. How he was sure he would die that day.  
"Yes, though this is not my sanctuaries territory we have been given special dissipation in this case." Speaker Malkeyranis tells him.  
"Stalks-In-Darkness created this mess, and he was one of yours," Rufico says.  
"It is much more complicated than that, Rufico Lexonus." Speaker Malkeyranis says. "It is but one of the things you will learn as we teach you. Come, Rufico Lexonus."  
Rufico nods and falls in behind Speaker Malkeyranis as he turns back to the shadows. "Why get involved, besides the obvious?" Rufico asks.  
Speaker Malkeyranis's head turns slightly, eyes narrowed. "You will have to learn the art of silence," he tells him. "But to answer this question, souls belong to Sithis and the Void. Anyone who threatens that essential fact will be silenced and fate has chosen you to be our blade."  
"I will never stop asking why me," Rufico says. "Lead on then." Speaker Malkeyranis vanishes into the shadows and Rufico follows.

Theodyn wakes in fits and starts. The darkness keeps pulling him under but at last, he wakes gasping for breath. Theodyn sits up and then nearly falls back down as the room spins around him. Theodyn closes his eyes as he flashes back to the last thing he remembers. Zirasha's fangs sinking into his shoulder then Rufico staring down at him, the fear deep in his eyes. Theodyn shudders and slowly opens his eyes to find the room has finally stopped spinning. He reaches for a glass of water that sits by his bed. He feels so hot, his wounds burn as if they are on fire and he's so thirsty. He's about to drink the water when he hears voices of the healers outside his door.  
"Taalem, can anything be done? There have been stories in the past, things that have the potential to work."  
"It is too late, Iriea. The infection has set in so fast and so deep. It is only a matter of time." Taalem says.  
Iriea is silent for a few moments. "How long until he is a danger to others?"  
"Not long," Taalem answers. "We will have to speak to him when he awakes, make proper preparations." The voices fade as the healers walk away.  
The glass slips from Theodyn's hand to fall on the floor with a crash as Theodyn starts to shudder. He draws his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them as he starts to silently cry. He does not want this. He cannot...  
Finally the tears dry and Theodyn stumbles to his feet. His sword is lost, but he has a spare dagger in his room. He will not make anyone else do it, nor he will live as something that needs to kill others to live. The very thought sickens him more so than taking his own life does. Theodyn wishes he could see his parents, one last time. But he may not have the strength to do what he must do if he gazes on their faces. Theodyn walks out the door and a guard posted outside of it glances at him. Theodyn swallows. "I need something in my room," he says quietly. "I heard them. I will not take long." The guard nods, a look of pity in his eyes as he escorts Theodyn to his room. Theodyn enters and closes the door, briefly closing his eyes as he leans against it. If he had encountered even one of his friends on the way... the strength would have left him. His thoughts move from them to his sister. He wanted to see Seriana again, but not this soon. Not in this way.  
Theodyn finally opens his eyes and moves to the nightstand where the knife is but something pauses him as his eyes turn from the nightstand to the bed. A golden sword rests on the blankets and Theodyn stares at it with puzzlement in his eyes before his eyes move up to see the Imperial girl from the city standing by the wall. "You intend to end your life rather than live as an abomination of life?" she asks him. Theodyn silently nods. She regards him. "For you, there is another way. I can purify the infection but you will need to come to my realm and fully pledge yourself to this path. There is no returning once you embark, Theodyn Vautrine. If you are sure, take Dawnbreaker and become my champion."  
Theodyn looks into her unfathomable eyes, the eyes of a Daedric Prince, for he knows who she is now. Merida the lady of light. Theodyn is very afraid but he still wants to save people and stop Viperish Night from destroying Nirn. He finds he wants it with all he is and so he walks to the bed and picks up Dawnbreaker, holding it in both hands. He staggers under its weight and hisses in pain as it burns his hands. Merida's eyes show approval. "Come, Theodyn Vautrine. Once you are purified the sword will no longer burn and you will grow strong enough to wield it in time. A glowing portal opens and Merida passes through it and Theodyn follows her without hesitation.

Deep under Elden Root Jeziasi sits head down her hair covering her face and eyes closed. Closed so she does not go mad at the sight of the heavy bone bars locking her inside this cage. The bars are inscribed with magical runes, as are the manacles around her wrists and neck. They don't want to risk her transforming, risk her rampaging through Elden Root. Jeziasi shudders. The truth is she can no longer transform. She can feel the wolf has receded deep within her, and even if she was free it would no longer answer her call. She allowed herself to become prey and therefore lost Hircine's favor. She had suspected as much, but the wolf still had come. But she hesitated to kill Viperish Night and it ran, though she could still reach it, still force it in a moment of terror and rage at being trapped. If she killed those who sought to cage her the wolf might have stayed. She... Jeziasi swallows. She had killed two of them. But Raz... she could not kill her old friend despite what he did. And he only did what he had to. She...failed. She let a monster go, one who would destroy Nirn. Someone so far in the dark they were beyond saving. There was no happy ending in the path she chose. So why did she do it?  
The sound of the heavy doors being open has Jeziasi raising her head as the guards come in, followed by Razum-dar and Queen Ayrenn. Jeziasi looks into Razum-dar's eyes but they are closed to her and she, at last, drops them. Queen Ayrenn stops before the cage, holding her hand to ward the guard's protests off at being so close. Queen Ayrenn regards Jeziasi. "My Eye has reported to me," she says. "Jeziasi, I must ask why?"  
Jeziasi looks at the floor. "Does it matter why?" she asks.  
Queen Ayrenn frowns. "Look at your Queen, Jeziasi. We know we may have asked too much of you, that you may not have been stable. But questions still need to be answered."  
Jeziasi raises her head to look into Queen Ayrenn's eyes. "I should not have. There is no way letting Viperish Night go will ever end well. He is too far gone to be reached."  
"And yet, you still let him go." Queen Ayrenn says. "Must I ask again?"  
Jeziasi knows she only has part of the answer the Queen seeks. The other part...eludes her. The why of it, when it makes so little sense. "I could not let the last thing Viperish Night saw was his Egg-mother killing him." Jeziasi finally says.  
Queen Ayrenn is silent for long moments as if she too knows that is not the full answer. "If only you had come peacefully." Queen Ayrenn says. "This puts me in a very difficult position, Jeziasi. You took Dominion lives today, and put all of Nirn in the gravest of danger. I know you know this." Queen Ayrenn takes a breath. "I must ask you two questions, and you must answer truthfully. It will determine your fate." Her eyes stare into Jeziasi's as if she can see the very truth of her soul. "To put it in the simplest terms, if we asked you to hunt Viperish Night, would your actions be any different than the last two times?"  
"They should be," Jeziasi says. "But..." she trails off looking lost.  
Queen Ayrenn's expression tightens. "Then our next question. I will trust for now my Eye's opinion that you were deceived by Swims-In-Silence and had no true intent to aid him in his plots. But Jeziasi, we know you. Your instincts are highly tuned and you know who to trust and who not to. You must have known not to trust Swims-In-Silence, you even told Raz that as well. So our question, why did you go with him after Summerset?"  
Why? Jeziasi starts to speak then stops. She had needed an escape after Summerset, but that is not what the Queen is asking. She knows what she told Razum-dar, that Summerset damaged her and she was so tired after. Jeziasi swallows and then swallows again. She cannot say this, but she has no choice. It is the truth, and she knows it's enough to damn her. "I did not think it would matter." Jeziasi finally says. The very first time Jeziasi looked at Swims-In-Silence's eyes she knew she should never trust him, never go with him. Something about those eyes that she still could not remember had her instincts howling. And yet...she still went with him in the end, because she thought there was no possible way any harm could come of it.  
"Oh Jeziasi..." Razum-dar says.  
Queen Ayrenn's expression hardens, her eyes turn ice cold. "You leave us no choice, Jeziasi. I must charge you with aiding a necromancer, murder, and treason against the Dominion."  
Jeziasi's eyes widen before she looks away from the Queen. "I never meant for any of this to happen."  
"And yet, this is the result." Queen Ayrenn says. "It is with a heavy heart that the answer to these charges is execution. You have done much for Nirn, and for the Dominion. To see this fall..." She sighs, deeply. "You will have a stay of execution for the duration of this crisis. You may be needed in some form, though you will remain here for the duration." Queen Ayrenn turns her back and walks out of the room and Razum-dar turns to follow.  
Jeziasi watches them go, her hand moves to the bars. "Raz..." she whispers.  
Razum-dar turns his head to look at her. "Razum-dar, Jeziasi. This one is sorry it had to be this way." his eyes briefly show pain before they harden and he turns his head away to follow Queen Ayrenn.  
Jeziasi watches the doors close and then lowers her head trembling. Everything...she has lost everything today. Everything save...for the one thing she could not bring herself to destroy.


	48. Act 3 - To Begin our War

The dragon lands on top a high mountain peak deep in Skyrim and lands outside a tomb. Viperish Night leaps down and turns to regard the skeleton dragon, its eyes burn with necromantic fire and it shows no sign of falling to pieces. Viperish Night tilts his head and reaches up, the dragon lowers its head and Viperish Night rests his hand on it's forehead between the massive horns. Some of its essences linger in these bones, but it has at last fully fallen under Viperish Night's control and shows no sign of turning into so much dust. Viperish Night's eyes widen as he realizes anything he raises will stay raised unless it's destroyed. No longer will piles of bone dust dot his trail, instead he can raise armies and never worry about them expiring. Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs.  
Zirasha reforms nearby and just watches Viperish Night an amused look across her face. Tyranius is leaning against a wall, helm on the ground watching as well. Viperish Night turns to them and stalks close to Tyranius. "The dragon did not bring me here randomly," Viperish Night slowly says as he narrows his eyes. Viperish Night still feels overwhelmed, needs time to gain control over the band, but is he even safe here?  
Tyranius crosses his arms across his chest. "He picked it out. Before you snarl at me, remember what I told you, pup. Better to have him on your side. You can kill him later."  
"He is going to bite your face off if you call him pup too much," Zirasha says with a laugh.  
Tyranius glances at her. "His mother is a werewolf. What else would you call him?"  
Viperish Night hisses softly drawing Tyranius's attention back on him. "I want him dead. Slowly and painfully," Viperish Night says.  
Tyranius frowns. "Pup, in terms of raw power you're a match for him, more than a match for him with that new toy of yours. But in terms of deception, you are not. You're an open book compared to that mer. He could out-think you, out scheme you if he needed to. You see why it's smart to accept his damn help for the moment?"  
All the half-truths and hidden meanings. All the torture his former mentor put him through. Murdering those who saw him behind his back, throwing him to slavers when he failed to be a monster enough. "I refuse to be like him." Viperish Night hisses. "I will be a monster, but my kind of monster. Not his." Viperish Night walks past Tyranius and pauses. "I will accept his help for now. But I will kill him in the end," he stalks inside.  
Zirasha gives Tyranius an odd look. "You..."  
Tyranius laughs. "You two are amusing. You'll figure it out eventually. It is in Viperish Night's best interest to work with him, for now," Tyranius picks up his helm and walks inside.  
Zirasha hisses after Tyranius. "Damn brute," she says. "Could have done without an Imperial dog tagging along." Zirasha crosses her arms and closes her eyes. By rights she should tear his throat out but... her mind floats back to days of blinding hunger, utter loss of control. She had not been sure she could get a handle on the monster that she had been made into. 

_Zirasha throws herself against the chains that bind her snarling and thrashing wildly. The blood hunger that grips her is all-consuming and she can hardly think, hardly breathe. "You dare bind me you damn Imperial!?" she screams.  
Tyranius stands near her arms folded. "Control, Control, Control," he intones. "Once you have it, no chains will be able to bind you."  
"Then I can tear your throat out and bath in your blood!" Zirasha hisses.  
Tyranius laughs. "You could try. I have sparred against Xivkyn and worse besides. A little vampire is nothing." Zirasha hisses again, her fangs glittering in the torchlight. "Besides, I know you won't. In fact, you'll be working with me."  
Zirasha's eyes flare. "Never! I will never work beside an Imperial!"  
"Swims-In-Silence mentioned your past," Tyranius states, and Zirasha howls in anger, throwing herself against the chains. "Hush, girl. You know not even Viperish Night knows that." Tyranius frowns. "Disrespectful behavior, it lacks all honor. I may be called an honorless dog for following the Worm Cult, but I would not turn to such animalistic behavior." Tyranius holds up a hand. "It's dinner time." he turns and walks out of the cave and comes back dragging a whimpering Imperial who's begging for his life in his iron grip, though Tyranius is deaf to his pleas.  
Zirasha goes utterly still. Her vampiric eyes lock onto the man Tyranius has brought her.  
"This is one of the honorless curs," Tyranius says. "I tracked every single one of them down that still lived, for you." he grins. "Control, Zirasha. Practice every day and when your ready, I'll bring you their captain. Till then, the rest will be yours at dinner time." he laughs and throws the man at Zirasha's feet and she sets on him instantly, savaging him with her fangs and claws until he is a bloody ruin and she's splattered in his blood. Zirasha looks at Tyranius satisfied. "Good, we understand each other then," Tyranius says.  
"You still have me chained," Zirasha says, more in control with the blood of the Imperial flowing through her.  
Tyranius shrugs. "You're not in control yet. You'll get killed indulging in the blood hunger. Control, Zirasha, then we can help Viperish Night murder them all." Tyranius laughs. "We seem like-minded in our blood-lust. It works for me, it's been a long five years hiding from the Bastards tracking down the Zero Legion. They forget, they bowed like curs during the Planemeld too, they just did not get their hands dirty. They did not enjoy it."  
Tyranius had kept his word. Each and every one of them died violently in agony and she fed on their blood. And on the final night when he brought her the captain and left him beyond her reach, her desire for his death granted her the final bit of control she had been lacking and her body had burst into mist to reform outside the chains and by the Captain's side. The things she did to that man before he died... his screams will forever be a memory she will cherish to her last day._

Zirasha opens her eyes. Stalks... no she had been told he goes by Swims-In-Silence now, had kept his promise. And he had been truthful, she would of never let him do this to her, her fear would have kept her back. But now? Now there was no fear. Zirasha smiles. She would have been mistaken to refuse this gift. No one could trap her, contain her. She could turn to mist to escape, or turn her vampiric gaze upon them to make them the weak ones, the ones that could not escape. She had been a scared little girl trapped in a weak form, but now she was a monster, the one that caused fear, not the other way around. Zirasha throws back her head and laughs. The three of them would drown this world in blood and fear. 

Viperish Night walks through the tomb. The hallway branches off into smaller rooms and at the end is a large stone room. The glowing eyes of Draugr follow Viperish Night as he walks past a round stone table to a throne made of sheer black rock at the end. His claws grace it and he, at last, sits down and closes his eyes. The dead swirl in his mind, those that live here and far beyond. He could cast his gaze far beyond this place, but would he make it back? It's a tide of the dead that threatens to drown him. The Band of T'zlich grants him such power, but control will have to be his. Slowly he withdraws his gaze from the outer world so it only sees the dead in this tomb. At last, his breath settles and he opens his eyes. All the dead are risen here, now. They will guard this place against any intruders, though it is so far out of the way and intimidating mountain peaks surround it. His former mentor seems to have picked well. Viperish Night's eyes fill with the familiar hate. To work with him makes Viperish Night's scales crawl. But it will get him closer to finding him, and closer to finding Swims-In-Silence. Viperish Night frowns. His Egg-Father...he has not seen him since before he was free. He longs to see him, to ask him why he has done all this. Viperish Night would have to find him...eventually. But for now, he would work on controlling this relic so he could start his war against the living.  
Viperish Night closes his eyes briefly. He wanted to start now, but lack of control would end him. It almost had already, by all rights he should be dead. Jeziasi...his Egg-Mother. He saw his death in her eyes. She hunted him for her precious Nirn and he should have never escaped her. But she...she let him go. Against all logic, all reason, all everything, SHE LET HIM GO. She dropped the knife on the rocks instead of throwing it. He was consumed by the power, fighting for control, control over the dragon, and would of never even knew she threw that knife. He would be dead and his plans would be dust had she not done that. Why? He could not even fathom the why of it. Viperish Night falls into a uneasy sleep with the question swirling in his mind.

"They will come to you."  
Viperish Night's snap eyes open, unsurprised to his former mentor before him interrupting his rest. His claws scratch the rock of the throne's armrest as he regards him. "Tyranius has advised I accept your help," Viperish Night softly says, his eyes filled with murderous intent.  
"And will you?" Mentor asks, folding his arms across his chest as he looks at Viperish Night.  
"Hmmm..." Viperish Night tilts his head. "What if I demanded that you serve in your true form? Not this..." he motions with his claws.  
"He will not let me do that, Viperish Night," Mentor says. "Unless you can find a way to unbind me from him? I am limited to what I can do in that regard."  
Viperish Night slowly smiles. "So that is what you want, my former mentor. You want your freedom."  
"One of many things, but I will start with that," Mentor says. His eyes move to the Band of T'zlich around Viperish Night's arm. "Free or not, I want to observe the band's power. I have never seen a relic like it before. It predates necromancy itself. It is utterly fascinating."  
"And it is mine," Viperish Night hisses. His eyes travel over his former mentor. So many questions he has, but he suspects he'll get the same old answer, that Swims-In-Silence somehow binds certain secrets in silence. "I want three things right now," Viperish Night suddenly says leaning forward. "Give me what you can, and I'll let you help. But I am still going to rend your flesh from your bones, someday."  
"I am looking forward to hearing all the ways you are going to kill me. You know you can only do that once, right?" Mentor says dryly. "What do you want?"  
"I want to know who you are," Viperish Night starts with. "I want to know where Swims-In-Silence is so I can wring answers out of him and then murder him. And..." Viperish Night's smile widens. "I want you to get on your knees and pledge your service."  
Mentor freezes. "You must be joking." At Viperish Night's furious gaze his eyes narrow. "I am bound not to tell you certain things, you know this. Both of your questions fall under that. But..." he trails off and thinks. "I will bring you something that may help with that. I will need time to fetch it, however. It's not going to be easy to get. It will take time."  
"Very well," Viperish Night says. "And my third request?"  
Mentor's eyes fill with fury. "If you find a way, you will free me?" he hisses.  
"Yes, my former mentor," Viperish Night says. "If you're free from the cave, I can find you and do the most horrible things to you before you die. You've heard my screams, I want to hear yours."  
Mentor stares at Viperish Night before gritting his teeth. "If this is what it takes," he says. "But know this, when you do come for me, you will have a fight on your hands." Mentor lowers himself to his knees. "I submit to you, my former pupil. Until you free me and come for my life."  
Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs. Tyranius enters the throne room a moment later, followed by Zirasha. Tyranius pauses. "So, pup, do we have to do that too?" Tyranius asks while Zirasha just hisses.  
Viperish Night lowers his head to regard his two bloodthirsty companions. Tyranius, former Zero legion and guilty of countless war crimes, and Zirasha, who had murdered even before she was a monster. "Hmm...no. I place you two in higher status than my former mentor."  
Tyranius moves to sit at the table and Zirasha follows. "What's next then, boss?" Tyranius says.  
"Who do we kill first?" Zirasha says with an eager laugh. "Imperials! Altmer?"  
"I would caution against those two first," Tyranius says. "Even with the Imperial's rebuilding, they are a force to be reckoned with, and the Dominion is stronger than the other two alliances."  
Mentor glances at Viperish Night and long moments pass before Viperish Night waves his hand and Mentor sits at the table with the others. "I...need time to master the Band of T'zlich," Viperish Night admits. "Pick some targets, small out of the way places. I will practice with them."  
"It would be wise to gather allies," Mentor says. At Viperish Night's confused look he adds, "Yes, yes. I know you intend to murder them all, but save some for later. There will always be people willing to follow the trail of power, and you have more power than any mortal has on Nirn at the current time. They will flock to you to have a chance at their enemies and for power. At the very least such allies will keep the Dominion and other alliances busy why you raise armies of the dead."  
"Got a point, pup," Tyranius says. "Boss, pup. Whatever," he leans back in his chair. "Let them cause chaos why you gather an army no one can defeat."  
"Who?" Viperish Night asks.  
"The Maormer come to mind, as does the Reachmen," Mentor says. "Lone necromancers and vampires, possibility Daedric cultists, splinter groups that want to drive the various alliances apart or take them over. The list is endless. Word will spread and they will come to you." Mentor stands. "I will work on getting what I promised you, Viperish Night, why you work on mastery over the band, I will return then," he turns and vanishes.  
Viperish Night blinks and starts thinking. "I recently attacked Pact territory, and the Dominion was involved in Craglorn after that...we will head to Rivenspire. I know there are small towns on the edge of the wilds there along with caves."  
"What's your plan, pup?" Tyranius says. "Just to murder them and practice?"  
Viperish Night folds his claws together thinking. "The dead I raise will not fall to so much dust. I can store any I raise in out of the way places...if I do this all over Tamriel, then when we are ready to attack the alliances directly...the army I have at my command will be massive." Viperish Night says.  
"Attacking towns is not necessary, then," Tyranius says. "You could raise the long-dead and not attract any attention."  
Zirasha hisses slightly. "What is the fun of that? I want the blood to flow and not stop flowing till Viperish Night's genocide is done," she says with a pout.  
Viperish Night is silent, thinking. "We will do both. As to why...I want them to be afraid. I want them to know the storm is coming, but have no idea from what direction or what size. I want them to fear the coming of the storm, and utterly despair when they see the impossible enormously of it," Viperish Night slowly says. "And, there is what my former mentor said. We need something to show potential allies what we can do. We need to show them to side with us is to prolong their lives and rejoice in the deaths of all their enemies. Scouring towns from the face of Tamriel should do that." Viperish Night laughs slightly. "And you two need to be able to play, correct?"  
Tyranius throws back his head and laughs. "I have five years to make up for, pup! You bet I want to play," he says.  
Zirasha's eyes light up. "I knew I wanted to keep following you! You will make it rain blood and I can dance in it! I'll lay bodies at your feet, you don't need the blood after all."  
"Truth," Viperish Night says. "I prefer skeletons to zombies. I just need their bones." Viperish Night's eyes move to Tyranius. "Try not to remove too many heads. It's slightly easier to raise them without having to reattach the skulls."  
"I can try, but my scythe here may disagree with that," Tyranius says, petting his scythe.  
Viperish Night rises and his hand grips his staff as he weaves his magic and a portal opens. "I saw this little town when scouring vampire dens from the face of Rivenspire, lets go say hi."  
Zirasha gets up and moves by Viperish Night's side. "You..."  
Viperish Night turns his head to regard her. "Once, I was a very different lizard. I thought I should help the dry scales. Help the living." His eyes fill with darkness as he slowly hisses. "I had no inkling how mad they all are. They will scream for blood and chaos and bath in it, even if they pretend to be good." He turns to the portal and crosses into it, a surprised Zirasha following after him along with Tyranius.

-Rivenspire-

The small town is near the border of Wrothgar, deep in the mountains. The portal lets the group out near a gathering of withered trees overlooking the town. The sun has yet to rise and the town is covered in darkness, most everyone is at home asleep save for a few bored-looking guards. A lone wolf howls in the early hours and the chill mountain breeze ruffles the group's clothes.  
Viperish Night suddenly falls to one knee, his hand clutched at the rock beneath his feet. He thought he was prepared, but perhaps he should have waited a few days, tried to rest a little more. The tide of dead once more threatens to overwhelm him and he grits his fangs as he pulls his mind back from the all consuming dead of Tamriel to focus on this small piece of it. Slowly he rises and throws his head back and howls, a bloodcurdling shriek that splits through the night air and causes even Zirasha and Tyranius to jump.  
Blue necromantic energy swirls at Viperish Night's feet and shoots off in every direction. The dead start rising, from the one's buried in the small modest graveyard, to the forgotten travelers who fell to the mountain's judgment, to bears and wolfs and more besides. Soon they encircle the town, and the guards are just starting to notice. Viperish Night laughs and lowers his head his eyes glowing slightly. The power, he thought necromantic energy was all-consuming but this? THIS? This was death in purest form, his to control. "Go," Viperish Night hisses. "I will practice getting used to controlling the everlasting dead I raise, and you two will make more to join our ranks. Kill them all."  
"Thought you'd never ask," Zirasha says as she leaps into the air. "Genocide, one town at a time. Blood enough to keep me feasted forever!" her form bursts into mist and she flows into town, reforming on top of a guard, driving him to the ground and sinking her fangs into his neck.  
"Can't let her have all the fun," Tyranius says as he slips his face-plate closed and heaves his scythe. "Killing unarmed villagers won't test my skills, but it's been so long since I heard people scream as the Reaper comes for them. Take what I can get. We'll go after the bigger fish later." He too charges into town. A guard sees him and seconds later the guard's head is flying off into the dark and Tyranius is laughing. Villagers are starting to burst from their homes, armed with whatever they can find, but they are little match for Tyranius, Zirasha and the handful of dead Viperish Night directs to aid in the wholesale slaughter.  
The dawn breaks on a silent town and Viperish Night walks through the puddles of blood, the dead villages sloshing out of their skin to rise as skeletons at his passing. "The caves, nearby," Viperish Night directs them. "Stay, until you are called for." The dead obey, streaming from the village to rest in the caves. "So very silent. So very peaceful." Viperish Night whispers, basking in the scent and sight of death.  
Zirasha watches him carefully, splattered with blood, and filled to bursting with the life-giving substance. "He's..." she whispers.  
Tyranius moves toward her, blood dripping from his scythe. "As if death decided to take form and descend upon this miserable dung pile." Tyranius finishes. "He might pull this off."  
Zirasha's eyes move to Tyranius. "And if he does not?" she laughs and answers her question. "The ride, it is worth it just for that." Tyranius nods, sharing her sentiment.  
Viperish Night turns to them, a portal opening nearby at his direction. "We will return for now. I will rest and in a few days, we will do this again. Throughout Daggerfall, Ebonheart and The Dominion, and beyond. Throughout Tamriel, until our armies are ready. And then the war truly will start."  
Viperish Night walks through the portal, followed by Zirasha and Tyranius. 

-End Act 3-


	49. Act 4 - Broken Strings

~/~ Four months later and Viperish Night's war on Tamriel marches on. Viperish Night and his allies strike from the shadows, setting siege to small towns and villages across the whole of Tamriel and when dawn breaks nothing is left but the splattering of blood and fallen weapons, for in blasphemy against all life, Viperish Night seizes the bodies of the fallen for his dark desires. The shadowy denizens of the shady corners of Tamriel flock to his side, seeking the blood and utter annihilation of their enemies and perhaps Viperish Night's mercy...though he has made it clear he has none. Once more the three allegiances and the mage and fighters guild bind together in an attempt to save Tamriel. They attempt to locate Viperish Night and protect the citizens, and joining them are the elusive Wyrd and the Imperials. Forces are spread thin however and it is feared that with the Band of T'zlich Viperish Night is creating an army of untold size and number...an army perhaps that once unleashed no force on Tamriel will be able to stop. ~/~

-Elden Root-  
Queen Ayrenn sits on the throne, her hand rubbing her head. "My Eye, there must be something more than this."  
Razum-dar stands before his Queen. "This one should be able to pierce the darkness that surrounds Viperish Night, but even my eyes cannot find him," Razum-dar says with a troubled look.  
Queen Ayrenn closes her eyes. Small towns in the Dominion have been attacked and there are not even any bodies to lay to rest. The pain from such crosses her face. "And the four heroes from the prophecy?"  
"Iveryni still lies unwaking," Razum-dar says. "One of the mage's explained to this one that her soul is no longer within it, though her body still lives. As for the other three, there is no word. This one has searched for them, but..." Razum-dar gives a helpless shrug.  
"They may be our only hope, Raz," Queen Ayrenn says. "We are failing to track down Viperish Night and his allies. Failing to protect our people. Failing!" Her eyes intensely lock on Razum-dar. "Will she help us?"  
Razum-dar's eyes grow clouded. "No, my Queen. Jeziasi will not help us track down Viperish Night or lure him out. She will not even talk to anyone any longer."  
"Try once more, Razum-dar," Queen Ayrenn orders. "She must know the harm he is causing, the countless deaths he's taken. Reach her. She strove to save Nirn in the past, and right now we are out of options."  
"Yes, my Queen," Razum-dar says and turns to walk out of the throne room, troubled. He has been to see her, to try to plead with her to aid them. But she refuses to meet his eyes much less talk to him. The months imprisoned have torn at her and she has grown more and more withdrawn. He has never seen her like this. 

-Deep under Elden Root-  
Jeziasi's fingers trail against the bars of her prison. She knows Nirn is at war once more, Razum-dar has been down here to try and get her to help them. To turn her back on her son, who even now is out in the world slaughtering whole towns. She should, she must. But she cannot. And she could not make Razum-dar understand, so she simply stopped talking to him. She cannot bear the look in his eyes. Full of confusion, anger, pity and so much more. She knows what she has done, she does not need to be reminded of it in his eyes. Being in a cage is enough of a reminder. Warded bone bars, manacles on both wrists and her neck, chains attached to both that lock in the back of the cage as if she was nothing more than a wild beast. As if she would turn into a savage werewolf and kill everyone to free herself. She would not do that even if she could. She only did it in Craglorn because something inside her panicked, and she found herself trapped with no way out. Jeziasi sighs, leaning her head against the bars. It is not as if they mistreated her, however. All her needs are met. All her needs save the one she needed as much as she needed food, water, air. Freedom. The one thing she had done everything to grasp, taken from her in a moment of panic and anger. Even if she helped them, they would never let her go. Even if the Queen could be made to spare her, she would never grant Jeziasi her freedom. She could not. Everything that was happened, was her fault in part. She had gone with Swims-In-Silence despite knowing something was very wrong with him. She had failed to kill Viperish Night, not once but twice, for reasons she could not even fathom. And she would not help her former allies find him, because they would kill him. He was a monster, guilty of far worse than what she was guilty of. He had gone so far past the point of redemption and forgiveness there was no light at the end of his tunnel. But she still refused. Each and every time, until she gave up speaking. Jeziasi closes her eyes and shudders softly. How could it have all come to this? One small choice, ended up in this nightmare?  
Strangled screams from outside the heavy doors to the room that contains her prison have Jeziasi's eyes snapping open and she rises, grasping at the bars in her hands. The scent of blood is heavy in the air, someone has attacked the guards, killed them. The door slowly swings open and a glowing blue mage walks in. Jeziasi's eyes flare with anger and she slowly snarls. Iveryni had told her of this strange glowing mer who was here and not here. Viperish Night's mentor, part of the reason he became as he is. Jeziasi's hands grip the bars tighter staring at the mage, trying to see past the glow, past the hood and face mask. Iveryni had said he knows her. So she must know him.  
He stops at the door and gazes at her, his eyes moving to the cage and her bonds before he drops his head and starts to slowly walk toward her. "This seems familiar," Mentor says. Jeziasi goes utterly still, his voice ringing in her ears. So familiar, but so impossible. Her hands slowly fall from the bars as he continues speaking. "Though I recall our places being switched. Tell me, Jeziasi, how does it feel to be chained with no way out and only endless torment awaiting you?" His head comes up and his eyes stare into hers.  
The blood drains from Jeziasi's face as she takes a step back from him, her eyes never leaving his. "It cannot be you," she says.  
"Oh, Jeziasi. How wrong you are about that. About so many things," Mentor says with a shake of his head. "You left me to eternal torment when you could have set me free. You deemed me a monster and my fate was just. That's right, is it not?"  
"You are a monster," Jeziasi snarls. "You deserved it, and worse. How did you get free? I know he would of never let you go, not after what you tried to do to him."  
Mentor smiles at Jeziasi. "Of course he would not, Jeziasi," he says. "I still serve him, it is not as if I have much choice at present." The words seem to echo in the room and Jeziasi backs away further until she hits the back of the cage. "I did tell your Dunmer friend not to expect Swims-In-Silence to act as anyone would expect him to. She took my meaning differently than I intended. I thought she was smarter than that." Mentor moves closer to the cage, tracing the bone bars with one hand.  
The world spins and Jeziasi falls to the ground, hands clutching at the ground as if trying to will them to become claws. "You cannot mean what I think you mean." Jeziasi snarls. "YOU CANNOT!" Jeziasi manages to sit up and stares wildly at Mentor.  
Mentor wraps his hand around the bars of Jeziasi's prison. "Oh Jeziasi, I do," he says.  
Jeziasi stares at him horror filling in her eyes before she staggers up and snarls, throwing herself at the bars. "Your lying, you bastard! YOUR LYING."  
Mentor's eyes lock onto Jeziasi's. "I serve Swims-In-Silence," he says. "And I have only ever served one master, and that has not changed. Only...certain details."  
Jeziasi slams her fists against the bars until her skin cracks and blood drips from them, the world spinning in front of her eyes. Memories flash through her mind faster than she can shove them away overwhelming her. Jeziasi stumbles backward again and stares at Mentor in utter horror for long moments before she throws her head back and howls, a scream of utter despair and anguish before falling backward and collapsing on the ground.  
Mentor taps the bars of the cage and frowns when there is no response. "I think I broke her," he says and then laughs as he turns to the door. The sound of pounding footsteps, her scream was more than enough to alert them that something was very wrong. "We will have company soon," Mentor says as he reaches for his staff on his back. He taps it on the bars of the cage and they fall to dust. Mentor moves to remove the manacles from Jeziasi's wrists and then fingers the chain that connects to the one around her neck. "Let's keep this," he says as he unchains it from the wall. "You are going to make me carry you..." Mentor says before sighing as he throws Jeziasi over his shoulder, wrapping the chain around his arm.  
Razum-dar bursts into the room with a contingent of guards and he snarls as he takes in the scene. "Stop!"  
Mentor turns slightly to see Razum-dar and a contingent of guards at his back. He dares not speak, it is enough Jeziasi knows who he is, letting the Dominion know would press his luck. A portal snaps open and he walks through, shutting it behind him.  
Razum-dar snarls and slams a fist into the wall. Seconds too late, Seconds! Why did he take Jeziasi? And what made her scream like that, what could make her scream like that? Chills run down Razum-dar's fur as he snaps at the guards. "Get one of the mages. See if there is any way to track where he went! And inform the Queen at once!" Two of the guards run back out and Razum-dar turns back to stare at where the portal had been. He knows they will fail to track it. Similar measures have been tried and failed. He kneels, fingering one of the chains on the ground. They had left her in here with no defense. Thinking that there was no way anyone could breach the Dominions defenses. And this...this had been the result. Razum-dar rises and turns to the door. He must speak to the Queen. 

-Skyrim Tomb-  
A portal snaps open in the middle of the throne room. Skeletons rest on either side their eyes glowing an eerie blue and their eyes follow Mentor as he steps from the portal. Zirasha and Tyranius sit at the table and Viperish Night sits on his throne. Viperish Night's gaze snaps to his former mentor, turning murderous as it always does when he sets gaze upon the mer. Slowly he hisses. "You have been gone for a very long time." Viperish Night says softly.

Mentor walks up to Viperish Night and drops Jeziasi at his feet. "I promised to bring you something to help with your questions. It took a while to get it. The Dominion locked her up far beneath Elden Root and their defenses were extensive. It was not easy to get to her, but as I promised."  
Viperish Night's eyes fall on Jeziasi in surprise. She lies so still at his feet, Mentor made no notion that this was what he meant. His eyes narrow as he brings his gaze back up to his former mentor. "What did you do to her?" he asks softly.  
Mentor smiles. "I did nothing but show her the truth. The result was..." his gaze falls to Jeziasi. "Unexpected." Mentor turns. "I must return, for now, least I attract suspicion for bringing you this little gift. I'll return when I am able." he vanishes.  
Tyranius rises and stalks over, kneeling in front of Jeziasi. "Would not of minded fighting her in her werewolf form," Tyranius remarks. "the Vestige VS the Reaper. That would have been a fight. Lucky thing perhaps she went after you, Viperish Night. The housecat nor the brats would have hesitated."  
Confusion crosses Viperish Night's eyes. Still, after all this time he cannot fathom her reasons for what she did. Her people turned on her for it. Word had traveled fast of the Vestiges betrayal and the fact she had been charged with treason, sentence pending till after the crisis had passed. "Is she injured?" Viperish Night asks.  
Tyranius wraps the chain around his fist and lifts Jeziasi with it. Jeziasi's eyes slowly flicker open and Tyranius stares into them. "Huh..." Tyranius says and releases her. Jeziasi falls into a sitting position by Viperish Night's feet, her head falling slightly to leave her hair covering her face. "No one seems to be home," Tyranius shrugs.  
Zirasha hisses. "She's not injured you brute. I would have smelled it." Viperish Night hisses against perplexed. Zirasha laughs. "Viperish Night does not know what to do with his new pet."  
Viperish Night settles back in his throne and his claws reach for the chain and he wraps it around his arm. "At least she comes with a leash," he says. "We were speaking of targeting two or three small towns in Summerset next, what ones Zirasha?"  
"Don't ask her, she'll want to go after the big ones," Tyranius says with a laugh.  
Zirasha's eyes flare. "I want to drink my parent's blood and show them how gloriously imperfect I am now! Everyone must want to do that, or something like that." She gestures at Viperish Night. "He gets his mother for a pet, I want to play with my parents too!" At the looks of the two, she settles down. "Alinor is the capital and far too big. I know some small settlements far from it."  
"Prepare yourselves," Viperish Night says. "I will secure our new pet in one of the rooms." Viperish Night rises and tugs on the chain, Jeziasi stands and follows at his lead out of the throne room.

The small rooms in the tomb have been cleared out and lamps and bedding have been placed in many of them. The tomb has the chill of the Skyrim mountains and the grave within, but hot springs beneath keep it from being dangerously cold. Viperish Night leads Jeziasi to one of the rooms and sets her down. He turns to go but at the last moment he turns back to Jeziasi and crouches by her side, one clawed hand lightly touching the side of Jeziasi's face, yet still, she does not react and her eyes seem empty. Uninjured, yet like this. Viperish Night hisses slightly as his claws move to the collar around her neck running over the runes cast in it. Wards...to prevent her from transforming, much as the collar he once wore warded his magic. Viperish Night's eyes move to her wrists, the scarred markings of one held in bondage. Viperish Night growls softly. His former mentor did not do this, her people did. All because she let him go. Viperish Night's eyes darken. One more example of the cruelty and madness of the living. Viperish Night sighs and his thoughts return to that day.  
_Viperish Night had lept off the cliff and onto the skeleton dragon he raised from deep beneath the earth. He knows Jeziasi is near, he knows he has his back to her and needs to turn to face the threat she poses. But the Band of T'zlich has opened up his necromantic senses far more then he expected and he's drowning in it, and the dragon he raised fights his control like a wild beast, and its all he can do to stay on his feet, fighting for control of both band and dragon. Distantly he hears her howl in pain, knows the werewolf has left her. He starts to turn his head but the dragon skeleton suddenly thrashes, trying to tear itself from Viperish Night's grasp, and it's all he can do not to fall to his death. The sound of a blade falling on the rock has Viperish Night snapping his head back as he manages to regain control. Jeziasi dropped the knife instead of throwing it and then the dragon takes Viperish Night away, confusion coursing through him._  
These past four months the question kept coming back to him. Why? Why had she done that? And now that his Egg-mother was here, he could not even ask her! What did his former mentor tell her to send her into such a state, to break her so utterly. Viperish Night lowers his head. He...would take of her then. Let Zirasha and Tyranius think she was nothing more than his pet. Viperish Night stands and walks out of the room. There was an army to build, this truly changed nothing. He glances once more back at his Egg-mother before leaving her.


	50. Act 4 - Defenseless

A few days later Tyranius speaks to Viperish Night, his arms crossed over his chest. "The Maormer would have words with you, Viperish Night," Tyranius says. "Seems our attack on Summerset caught their attention. They seek to benefit from it."  
Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs from his seat upon his throne. "So many fall in line behind me. Do they not know their fate will be the same?"  
"For a chance to crush their enemies and seize power?" Tyranius laughs. "Keep taking advantage of it Viperish Night. It will keep our enemies off our backs why you raise your army."  
Viperish Night sets the chain down and rises. As she is every day, Jeziasi sits by his throne. His eyes slide to hers for a few moments. Still unresponsive. He turns them from her to open a portal, crossing into it with Tyranius.  
Zirasha watches as the two cross over into the portal and as soon as the portal snaps shut she darts out of the throne room in a burst of vampiric speed and are back in seconds with something clutched in her hand. She stalks towards Jeziasi and stands before her. Viperish Night keeps her by his side most of the time, putting her in the room when it's time to rest. She eats when told and all that but it's all automatic. Zirasha kneels by Jeziasi's side and grips Jeziasi's face roughly with her right hand. "Wake up," Zirasha hisses. There is no response and Zirasha huffs. "I was like this once, briefly!" she says. "Trapped in my head, not wanting to come out. But I figured something out, people could hurt me more this way. No defense, no nothing! Think about that! You're among your enemies. Do you even know that?" Zirasha's eyes flare and she moves in back of Jeziasi. "I could slit your throat in a moment and drink your blood. Why don't you see that? Why?" Confusion colors Zirasha's eyes and she hisses again. "Idiot." she brings the item she clutches in her left hand, it is a simple hairbrush. Zirasha starts brushing Jeziasi's hair, trying to untangle it. "I do not remember how to braid it," Zirasha grumbles. "Wake up if you want your pretty braids back."

"You want Summerset, Ikhil." Viperish Night repeats as he stares at the Maormer commander sent to negotiate with him. Pale pearly skin, nearly white. White eyes with no pupils and extremely short white hair.  
"And the Altmer dead," Ikhil says. "We'll help you with your war, for that."  
Tyranius chuckles. "This will put us closer to being able to take on the Dominion. Zirasha will be pleased, she dislikes the Altmer.  
"Acceptable," Viperish Night says, and before he continues his eyes move to Tyranius who gives him the look that Viperish Night has come to be used to. Tyranius disagrees with Viperish Night's policy of being open with his desires to end all life, even that of his new allies at some point. But he will not deceive them, he will not be like his former mentor or Swims-In-Silence in that regard. "This lasts for the war," Viperish Night continues. "My war is on all the living. I am willing...to save my potential allies for last."  
"You can try," Ikhil says. "We are willing to take this chance. You may come to see the advantage of keeping your allies alive in the end."  
"Then we have an allegiance. The dead will not attack any Maormer in turn for your aid in the war. Summerset will be yours when the Altmer are cleansed from it." 

Viperish Night and Tyranius return to the tomb and as Viperish Night walks to his throne he turns to Tyranius. "We will strike at Bangkorai tomorrow. I have a small settlement in mind. Find some sort of mount for my pet, she will come with us tomorrow. She could use a walk." Viperish Night reaches his throne and glances at Jeziasi, tilting his head before looking at Zirasha who's sitting at the table playing with a hairbrush. She focuses her eyes on him and hisses softly. Viperish Night laughs. "Your right, Zirasha. One must groom their pets." Viperish Night sits and runs his claws through Jeziasi's hair, free of tangles. 

That night Viperish Night leads Jeziasi to her room and sets her on the blankets on the floor and kneels beside her. Viperish Night reaches out to her, his claws gently tracing her face. "Egg-mother, where are you?" he asks puzzled. "What dreams grip you even as your eyes are open?" There is no answer, there never is an answer. "I just want to know why you gave up everything for me. It makes so little sense. I am the monster you kill, the threat you always hunt for Nirn." Viperish Night quiets and rests his forehead against Jeziasi's for a time before rising. He looks at her one last time before he leaves.

_The forest is a lush green paradise and seems endless. Jeziasi crouches in a tree, prey scurrying all around in the forest below. Squirrels, rabbits, the occasional deer. Her eyes should be focused on these, but instead, her eyes are locked onto a divide that exists in this place. Both sides are forest, but the other side of the divide is utterly wild and uncontrolled. The howls of wolves and stranger creatures draw her to the divide, but it is a line she cannot cross.  
"In a tree, so very wood elf."  
Jeziasi's head snaps to the ground below, a Bosmer is leaning against the tree. He's rangy with brown hair and striking golden eyes. "See? I am a Bosmer but I am not in a tree." Jeziasi frowns at him. "Not amused?" the Bosmer asks her. Jeziasi growls. "Most definitely not amused," he says as he stares up at Jeziasi. "I am Arawn, and I understand you are in a conundrum. You want over there, but you should not yet. You're still alive." Jeziasi's eyes move back to the divide. "Even if you were dead, you know why you cannot cross, Jeziasi," Arawn says. Jeziasi slowly lowers her head. "Don't be like that," Arawn says. "You can always earn back our Prince's favor."  
Jeziasi finally speaks. "I cannot kill my son."  
Arawn raises one eyebrow. "Is he the one that made you prey?" he asks.  
Fear crosses Jeziasi's face as she grips the tree tighter. "I cannot deal with that." she softly says.  
Arawn frowns. "Then you will be trapped here forever between life and death. Never to wake, never to enter your Prince's Hunting Grounds. Is that what you want?"  
Jeziasi's eyes close. "I don't care anymore," she whispers.  
"Lies," Arawn says with a sigh. "You are a hunter, even if you are more like a rabbit right now. You need to remember." He moves to Jeziasi's tree and takes off his bow and arrows, hanging them from a branch. "Hunt while you linger here. Perhaps you will remember." Arawn turns to the divide and crosses it, vanishing in the wild woods.  
Jeziasi opens her eyes once he is gone, one hand tracing the bow and arrows. They remind her of simpler times. _

-Bangkorai-  
Viperish Night sits upon his skeleton mount, blue necromantic energy coursing through its bones. They have come through a portal, but the town they have chosen this night is in Bangkorai near the northern border and Viperish Night wants to make an entrance for tonight the desire is to attract the attention of the Reachmen, much as they attracted the attention of the Maormer in Summerset. Viperish Night's eyes dart behind him, his allies sit on their mounts, along with Jeziasi. He thought perhaps being out might stir her, but she is as she has been since his former mentor brought her to them. Viperish Night hisses softly, refocusing on the task at hand. Soon, he would have undead armies waiting for him in nearly every territory in Tamriel, and then? Then they would march en mass scouring every land clean one by one. It would just take a little more time.  
Zirasha turns her head to look at Jeziasi. "Sure she's not going to wake up and start yelling at you?" Zirasha asks.  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. He almost wished she would. Wake up and yell at him, look at him with those fiery pale eyes of hers. "Her wolf is bound as is her hands," Viperish Night says. "Even if my pet awakens, she's properly leashed."  
Suddenly arrows start to fly and Viperish Night jerks his horse and leaps down behind it arrows burring into the skeleton horse as a large group of armed Redguards surges out of the woods nearby.  
"They are starting to wise up, Viperish Night," Tyranius remarks as he leaps off his horse, arrows bouncing harmlessly off of his armor. He laughs as he reaches for his scythe. "Word is spreading. We'll have more of a fight on our hands with these dogs, pup."  
Viperish Night just grins. "Let them try." His eyes move to the Redguards, these do not hesitate to charge him, they must be the Ash'abah, those who chose dishonor in order to fight the dead.  
The howl of the undead echos, men and beasts alike. Zirasha laughs and bursts into mist and surges into the Ash'abah, reforming at will to savage them with her vampire fangs and claws.  
"Damn," Tyranius remarks. "Can't let her have all the fun now," he laughs and wades into the melee, his scythe flying and Ash'abah falling before him.  
Viperish Night has the skeleton horses surround Jeziasi's and unsheathes his swords as he runs at the melee as well, even more dead rising as he does. A ghastly grin crosses his face as he dives into the Ash'abah.  
Soon the contingent of Ash'abah warriors lies dead at their feet, though that does not last long as Viperish Night raises them with an evil laugh. He knows this is the most terrifying fate for any Redguard, to be raised in such an unholy fashion. And what he is going to have them do next? Viperish Night walks among them. "Kill the villagers," he orders them with a hiss, and they obey, surging into the village they had sought to protect in life, now they destroy in death leaving not a single soul alive. Viperish Night smiles when they are done. Silence, these living would no longer suffer or cause others to suffer. They would rise and join his army.  
Tyranius cleans his scythe and Zirasha licks blood off her claws. Viperish Night hides the undead as he always does, and they will await his call in the coming days. He then moves to the skeleton horses, picking a few arrows from Jeziasi's. "Perhaps a walk was a bad idea," he muses. "I will need to make sure you have more protection if you will not protect yourself." Viperish Night opens a portal and they return to the tomb.

Later that night Viperish Night leads Jeziasi to her room and once more kneels at her side, his forehead against hers as if his mere presence will cause her to awaken from her dreams. "I thought that would wake you, Egg-mother," he whispers. "Seeing atrocity, being in battle once again. But even then, you refuse to wake." Viperish Night leans back and traces his claws gently against the side of her face. "Is being awake so bad?" he asks. "Is...being with me so bad? Do you even know you are by my side, Egg-mother?" Viperish Night softly sighs and as he does every night he gently pushes Jeziasi down and covers her with a blanket. "Zirasha will retrieve you later," Viperish Night says and walks out.

Zirasha watches from the shadows waiting for Viperish Night to leave. When he does and she can no longer hear his claws on the stone floor she darts into the room and lights more lamps. "Idiot just does not think," she hisses. "I like the dark now, but once..." Zirasha moves to Jeziasi and lies beside her, her back against Jeziasi's. "I like being alone too. But do you?" Zirasha hisses "You never answer. You need to wake up. I could get hungry one night and then what would you do?" Zirasha closes her eyes.

_"She's right you know," Arawn remarks.  
Jeziasi looks up from the fire where she's roasting a rabbit she caught. "She?" Jeziasi asks, frowning slightly as he walks into her camp. He will not leave her alone, it is all she wants. To be here and be left alone.  
Arawn just shakes his head. "It is not smart to be this unaware. Look at your tree, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi glances at the tree and stands moving toward it. Her eyes are puzzled as her hands pull arrows from the tree and she turns to Arawn. "Why would someone shoot arrows at this tree?" she asks.  
"The tree, or you?" Arawn answers as he turns his back to walk to the divide. "You have the strangest people calling you home, Jeziasi." He laughs slightly as he crosses the divide and vanishes into the Hunting Grounds.  
Jeziasi watches Arawn go with a confused look on her face before she turns back to dinner. Who would bother calling her back? A hint of sadness crosses her eyes as she drifts back to the fire._

"The Reachmen are ready to talk," Mentor tells Viperish Night a week later as he stands before Viperish Night, who as always is sitting on his throne, the chain attached to Jeziasi's collar wrapped around his claws.  
More who would come to him and serve at his feet, even though they knew he would try to end them eventually. The madness of the living never stopped, did it? Viperish Night slowly nods. "A portal then, if they are ready to meet now?" he asks  
Tyranius snorts. "Reachmen need to be impressed. A show of strength. Time to let your dragon out to play, pup."  
Viperish Night rises and holds out the chain to Tyranius. "Take my pet then, Tyranius. I will need my hands free for controlling the skeleton dragon. It may decide it has been too long in rest and fight me a little."  
Tyranius moves to Viperish Night and takes the collar pulling Jeziasi up. "Guess it's time for a walk, wolfy," Tyranius says and walks out of the tomb followed by Zirasha.  
Mentor watches them go. "Still utterly unresponsive? I would not think she would stay like this long," he remarks.  
Viperish Night hisses angrily. "You are the one that broke her," Viperish Night says as he stands and walks past his former mentor to call upon his dragon.  
"It was not I," Mentor says before vanishing.

Viperish Night stalks through the snow to a raised round mound where his skeleton dragon rests. It raises its head to look at him, the blue of the necromantic energy shooting through it like lightning. It even fans out over the wing bones, allowing it to fly. Viperish Night tilts his head as the dragon flares out its wings and rises. Did the Band of T'zlich do that? Allow the dragon to fly when it should have been impossible? Viperish Night turns his head to see his allies walk into the snow with his Egg-mother in tow

The dragon flies through the clouds where no one will glance up and see it until it reaches The Reach and then the mighty skeleton dragon dives down and lands amid the Razorhorn clan near nightfall. Viperish Night's eyes travel through those gathered and leaps down from the dragon. Zirasha reforms from mist by his side and Tyranius leaps from the dragon's back before turning to bring Jeziasi down.  
The Reachmen chieftain walks up to the group and stops in front of Viperish Night. His people follow though they keep a wary distance from the skeleton dragon. "I am Chieftain Dravrefe of the Razorhorn clan. Impressive, but it will take more than a dragon to drag our enemies down."  
Viperish Night smiles and an eerie howling sets upon the gathering. Glowing blue eyes emerge from the dusk. Werewolf and Minotaur skeletons surround the clan. "Join us and see your enemies suffer and die. All of them," Viperish Night says. "Spread word to the other clans if you wish, or keep all the glory for yours. I will accept any allegiance from the Reachmen of the Reach." Viperish Night pauses and his eyes seem to glow. "Just know that all the living are my enemies and I am just willing to have temporary allies have fun before my gaze falls upon them."  
"Blunt, bloodthirsty." Chieftain Dravrefe says in an approving tone. "You know we may turn on you first then."  
Viperish Night shrugs. "I am honest, but I am very used to deception. You can try," he responds.  
Chieftain Dravrefe throws back his head and laughs. "Let us sit over a meal then why we work out the details." he turns to lead the group to the fire, where a feast has been prepared. Viperish Night follows the undead he raised slinking into the dark for now. Zirasha follows then breaks off to speak with a Reachmen woman with braided hair and Tyranius follows leading Jeziasi to settle around the fire for dinner. After dinner Viperish Night and Chieftain Dravrefe settle down to finish the allegiance arrangements.  
"Show me how Fasi " Zirasha demands of the Reachmen woman she has targeted and had been speaking with throughout dinner. "She had her hair in all these braids. Half braids, half hair." Zirasha says.  
"I have had stranger requests," Fasi says, staring in fascination at Zirasha. She seems interested in the creature that Zirasha is, and is content to do what she asks. Fasi moves to Jeziasi and touches her hair. "Watch," Fasi tells her and sets to work braiding Jeziasi's hair as Zirasha has demanded.  
Viperish Night finishes speaking with Chieftain Dravrefe and his head turns to the women. He tilts his head slightly as he watches. Fasi glances up at Viperish Night as she finishes the braids. "Her soul is unmoored..." she trails off as if she wishes to say more, but dares not.  
"I am aware she dreams without truly waking," Viperish Night says. "Do you know where she dreams?"  
Fasi lightly touches Jeziasi's face. "Wilderness...not in but perhaps close to the Hunting Grounds. Mortals should not venture near there why they still draw breath." Fasi regards Viperish Night. "What pray tell drove her to such a state?"  
"Fasi!" Chieftain Dravrefe snaps and she bows her head in apology. "We mean no offense, Viperish Night," Chieftain Dravrefe says.  
Such deference, it is so very strange. Viperish Night slowly smiles. These kinds of people are drawn to power indeed. Despite the risk that they will fall to him someday. "Some truth that overwhelmed her," Viperish Night remarks. "Will my pet dream forever?"  
Fasi glances at her Chieftain for permission to speak and then turns to Viperish Night. "It is up to her," she says simply.

Viperish Night and the others return to the tomb in the early morning hours and Viperish Night walks Jeziasi to her room. When she's sitting down he sits beside her, expression thoughtful. "The hunting grounds..." Viperish Night quietly says. "Hircine's realm. Do you dream of wolf-like dreams or mer, Egg-mother?" Viperish Night rises soon after. "I wish you would tell me," he says and walks out, pausing right outside. He knows Zirasha is watching. Knows she enters Jeziasi's room when he leaves. Knows she never harms Jeziasi, just lights extra lanterns and sleeps beside his Egg-mother. The why of it puzzles Viperish Night but he knows better to ask. Monsters do not point out non-monster like behaver. It shines a light on what can be considered a weakness. And it is why he treats Jeziasi as a pet in public, but as someone, he needs to care for and protect in private. 

_Arawn strolls over to Jeziasi's tree and looks up at her. "Your hairs braided today," he remarks.  
Jeziasi reaches up to touch her hair. She had stopped braiding it when they threw her in the cage. She had not thought of it here either, like so many other things it seemed not to matter anymore. "Arrows, now this." Jeziasi finally says.  
"Questions!" Arawn explains. "Kind of? It is a good sign." Arawn leans against the tree and runs a palm over it. "You healed your tree from the arrows as well."  
Jeziasi frowns. "I did not know I could do that," she says. "It just came to me."  
"Here all paths are possible," Arawn explains. "You are what you were, could have been, or might still be." Jeziasi just looks at him. Arawn sighs, he's not losing her again, is he? "Your mind is aware on some level of what's going on around it. Some of it leaks through here."  
Jeziasi looks utterly confused for a moment. Why would arrows be shot at her? Why would someone braid her hair? But just as quickly as these thoughts come, they fade and Jeziasi leans back and closes her eyes.  
"I thought that would last longer," Arawn laments.  
"Just go away," Jeziasi says tiredly.  
"Cannot do that," Arawn says. "My Prince would have my head, most literally. He usually does not take as strong an interest in a particular mortal. You must be special, Jeziasi to warrant this kind of attention from him."  
Jeziasi opens her eyes and stares up into the leafy branches above her. Her eyes have an utterly lost and hopeless expression in them. "I am not. I am just a fool. Just prey. Tell the Prince he's wasting his time with me, I am not worth it."  
Arawn is silent before responding. "It is true that you are prey, for now! You can always change that, Jeziasi. Be the hunter you are meant to be."  
Jeziasi looks down briefly before turning from Arawn, her eyes going distant. Arawn turns to the divide and makes to leave. "Your right, Jeziasi. If you chose to stay this way, you are a fool." Arawn bounds across the divide._

The next day Viperish Night is on his throne, waiting for the others. Waiting to leave this tomb and set upon another town. Though this day...his thoughts consume him. Viperish Night knew the truth, he was not blind to the fact that necromancy did corrupt, did change a person. And the Band of T'zlich did the same, even more so. The power was more than he could have ever imagined. Viperish Night had thrown away much of what he once was, cast it aside, or buried it deep within his rivers depths. What little remained of his old self was eroding away day by day. Viperish Night could almost see something in the depths, something about himself he did not yet know. The more the power consumed him, the closer he was to the very depths and what lurked within.  
Viperish Night turns his head to look at Jeziasi. Something of who he once was remained and it was she who kept that infinitesimal part alive. She, the Egg-mother he had never known, she who pledged to end him, she who against all reason let him go, she... who would not return to him, lost in a place far beyond his reach. Viperish Night understood breaking. To have your world torn asunder and never be able to return it to the state it was before. How it damaged you, changed you, threatened to drown you. Something had broken his Egg-mother, something so very bad she ran and hide and refused to return, leaving herself utterly defenseless among enemies who by all rights should kill her, or hurt her at the very least. Viperish Night turns his eyes from her and shudders softly. By all rights, he should end her. Anything that made him weak...but he found he could not bear the thought and so he would continue thus.  
Viperish Night rises as the heavy footsteps of Tyranius enter the throne room followed by Zirasha who makes no sound at all with hers. They will go destroy another town. Perhaps two or three this night, Viperish Night wants these thoughts gone from his head, and swimming in the river always helps. Always makes it so very easy to do the most horrific of things and laugh about it.


	51. Act 4 - Lost in Dreams

Viperish Night sits with Jeziasi, resting his forehead against hers. It's been nearly a month since his former mentor brought her here. Not once has he seen the fiery Jeziasi he knows in those pale eyes of hers. Those eyes, still so very empty. Nothing he says or does has brought her out. He has taken her with them nearly every night, even the atrocities he and his allies have done fails to move her, she who once defended Nirn with all she is.  
Viperish Night hisses and stands up, pacing. His war has moved on and so far no one has managed to stop him. The small towns are better guarded and they need to spend time scouting before they move in now so Viperish Night knows how many dead are needed to help them kill everyone. Everyone in the town and those who came to guard it. His army of the undead has grown to such numbers...it will be enough soon. Perhaps but a month or two more. Viperish Night stops pacing and faces Jeziasi. "Egg-mother, you have been with us a month. When my former mentor comes and his eyes fall on your unchanging state, I want to murder him even more. I want to hear him scream." Viperish Night hisses loudly. "I need him, though. I need him to find his true self, to find Swims-In-Silence so I can kill them both as horribly and painfully as possible. They will regret what they have done to both of us. I will make sure of it." Viperish Night falls silent and his claws touch the band. He still has so many questions, still, he has no idea what Swims-In-Silence gets out of this. Why he has done all of this.  
Viperish Night's eyes move over Jeziasi. What will he do if she never awakens? Remains like this forever? He knows he should not care, but somehow he does. "Come back to me," Viperish Night whispers and kneels beside her, taking her face in his clawed hands and resting his forehead against hers. "The very few people who cared for me died. Never to come back to me, would you do that as well, Egg-mother?" A tear slides from Viperish Night's eye to fall on Jeziasi's cheek, carving a path down her face. Viperish Night stays that way for long moments before standing and stalking to the wall, slamming his fist against it. Why did he care? He should not, he did not need this, did not need her. All he needed was to cast this world into silence. He stalks out of Jeziasi's room.

_Jeziasi rests in her tree eyes closed. All she wants is to just stay here. Beyond memories, beyond truth. She cannot bear the truth, cannot bear what she has done. So she cannot enter the Hunting Grounds, she will just stay here in this forest in-between forever. Suddenly there is wetness on her face and her eyes open as she reaches for her cheek and her hand comes back wet. She sniffs it, salty. But she is not crying, so what is this? Arawn's words come back to her, she had dismissed what he said. It did not matter, the world beyond this forest did not matter. But now? Who would cry for her, she was...not worth it. Jeziasi suddenly snarls and leaps from the tree. She will hunt, it will calm her._

_Jeziasi hunts in the forest looking for a rabbit or perhaps a deer. The forest is calling her to hunt, and so she moves silently through it. Suddenly the forest goes silent and a growl erupts from the undergrowth. Low, dangerous. Jeziasi freezes as a pair of golden eyes shimmer from the undergrowth and a wolf slinks out. The wolf has a pelt of inky blackness and a hungry look in his eyes. He sees Jeziasi as prey. As something to hunt, kill, and devour. Jeziasi steps back slowly the bow in her grip wavering. She has hunted only prey in this forest, not anything like this. Nothing with fangs and claws and the cunning eyes of a predator.  
"Why hesitate?" Arawn says, standing on a branch in a nearby tree. Jezaisi looks up at him and then back at the wolf. "You have hunted the hunter before, Jeziasi." Arawn scolds. "Many, many times. You just..forgot."  
Jeziasi's mind flashes back on all the battles and hunts she has been in. It was never prey she hunted, fought against. Always the cold baleful gaze of the hunters has been her targets. Jeziasi raises the bow, her hands now steady. She remembers what it felt like to be in battle. A whirlwind of blade and steel, or a savage wolf with claws and fangs. How it felt to be so very strong. She made the mistake of thinking she was stronger than any other, she knows this now. It's why she dismissed the danger. Slowly she snarls at the wolf and the wolf lunges at her. Jeziasi's arrow launches at the wolf, but it goes wild, and the wolf leaps and is upon her. Jeziasi's bow drops to the ground as the wolf's jaws are suddenly at her throat. Jeziasi can remember another's fangs at her neck, and she let them snap down upon her. She will not allow that again and so she thrusts her left arm up into the wolf's jaws as he snaps them shut. Pain courses through her but she is used to the pain. It's a sharp reminder of her life before this and it brings a trace of her old fire back to her. She kicks the wolf off of her and leaps onto its back. The wolf snarls and they tumble on the forest ground jaws snapping, claws tearing and the lines between them blur. Jeziasi and the wolf spring apart and Jeziasi is something else now. Brown and silver fur and golden eyes. A wolf yes, but not the werewolf. A more primal state, thoughts blur, and only the wolf's thoughts remain. The two wolfs circle each other than both lunge at each other in a flurry of growls and bites. The black wolf slams into Jeziasi and tears into her fur and flesh and soon he is standing over her jaws ready to snap on her neck. His wolf eyes tell her one thing and one thing only, submit.  
Time seems to slow and Jeziasi's thoughts shift from wolf to mer. This has happened before, though in a far different way. The glimmer of blue-grey eyes that told her to submit, and Jeziasi did. She showed him her belly, became the beta to his alpha, and the why of it? She was lost and so very tired of being so utterly alone. She let her guard down, ignored her primal instincts, let the hunter catch and subdue her and she had thought it did not matter. She ignored the truth in Swims-In-Silence's eyes, the eyes she had stared into before. She should have recognized them, even though the form was so different. The icy darkness that sought her submission, and that of Nirn itself. The depths of evil she had been plunged into during the war, the cold that lingered long after. She had hunted him, once. Against all odds, she had made him prey and saved all of Nirn. She never expected him to hunt her in turn, never thought once that she would become so sure of her strength, that she would refuse the notion that anyone could hunt her, anyone could hurt her, anyone could dominate her. And so when he came to her in the guise of an Argonian that offered her a hunt, offered her the chance not to be alone, she ignored everything and went with him. Jeziasi's blood runs cold. She had done the unspeakable. If she had not been so lost in herself, so sure of herself, she might have known who he was, even clad in a mortal form. Instead...this was the result.  
Jeziasi's wolf eyes narrow as she snarls at the black wolf. Not again, never again! She was the hunter, she would not be made to submit! Jeziasi surges upward the black wolf's fangs tear into the fur around her throat but she rips free and slams into him and he stumbles and Jeziasi's jaws find his throat and savages it. The black wolf falls at her feet and Jeziasi throws back her head and howls._

_Back at her camp Jeziasi sits with Arawn as night closes in, staring into the fire. "How can you not think I am a fool?" she asks him. "I thought myself stronger than anyone else, that no one could hunt me."  
Arawn stares in the fire long moments before he answers. "Perhaps it's a side-effect of walking the hunter's path. One can lose themselves and become just the wolf, just a savage beast who will hunt until the day they fall to a stronger hunter. Many werewolves fall to that, Jeziasi. They fall to the lure of the wild or the unending call of savagery. It is a fight to keep both parts of yourself, the wolf, and the mer as it is in your case." Arawn raises his eyes to Jeziasi. "You walked a far different path than most of my wolves." Arawn frowns slightly. "I may have to fight with the Void for your soul when it comes time for your mortal life to end."  
Jeziasi stills and her eyes meet his. His golden eyes show depths he had not let her see before and as she stares into him she trembles slightly as she sees a shadow of his true self. "My Prince," she softly says.  
"Arawn means hunter, Jeziasi," Hircine says. "You had other things on your mind, my wolf. You know what you must do, do you not?"  
"I must hunt him," Jeziasi says. "But how can I end him? You know who and what he is as well as I do, now. I could not end him the first time I fought him, I cannot now."  
"What he has done, Jeziasi is unprecedented. He placed part of himself in a mortal vessel, far deeper than mere possession. He became Swims-In-Silence when he did so. You can hunt Swims-In-Silence, you can kill Swims-In-Silence, and it will hurt him a great deal. Enough to make you the hunter and he the prey in your jaws. It's enough to do that. You have hunted him before, made him prey before. This time he's the same as you, mortal."  
Jeziasi is silent for long moments. Her thoughts are in turmoil and she looks at her Prince, questions swirling in her eyes that she does not know how to put in words.  
"You concern yourself with what side you should be on far too much," Hircine scolds. "It does not matter. All that matters is the hunt. When you wake focus on the hunt and who you want to hunt with." At Jeziasi's puzzled look Hircine just smiles.  
"And my wolf?" Jeziasi softly asks.  
Hircine rises and holds out his hand. "You know the answer to that, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi knows, and she also knows to take that hand means waking up. Facing what she has done and what has been done to her as well as Viperish Night. Part of her still wants to hide, wants to stay here forevermore. But a larger part knows she must wake. She needs to hunt. She needs to find Viperish Night and tell him this truth. Jeziasi takes Hircine's hand and lets him pull her up. The forest starts to slowly fade away.  
"Hunt, my wolf," Hircine tells her and then rage flashes in his eyes and the forest seems to quake with it. "Hunt him and strike him down. Show him how wrong it was to hunt one of MY wolves." Hircine pauses for a moment, his eyes staring into hers. "Hunt him, prove you are worthy to be my Champion and that I am not wrong about you. Do not fail me twice or you will feel the Wild Hunt's jaws around your throat."  
Jeziasi's eyes widen as the forest fades and darkness washes over everything as the waking world calls to her. _

Awareness comes back in fits and starts. Jeziasi feels cool stone under her hands. Her hair covers her face, longer than it was before with braids interwoven in it. The feel of the heavy collar that the Dominion used to bind her wolf, thinking they needed to. And voices talking. A heavy male voice, she's heard it before but where? A female voice she's never heard..but somehow knows. And answering them a third, one she knows, one that causes her heart to miss a beat. Viperish Night. Her eyes dart to the right, he's by her side sitting on an ebony black throne, the chain to her collar in his clawed hands.  
Shards of memories slowly come back to her, Even though her soul had been in that strange forest between life and death her mind somehow saw what had been going on, though the memories were fragmented, out of order. Being lead around on a chain by Tyranius. Riding on the skeleton dragon. Zirasha brushing her hair, sleeping beside her at night. Being brought to their slaughters, memories of screams, and unholy laughter. A chill runs down her neck and then the shards containing Viperish Night come back. Treating her as a pet, but when they were alone...begging her to wake. Pressing his forehead against hers his body softly shaking asking over and over why she let him go. That he was just a monster, just an abomination not worth saving. The final time he begged her to wake. Begged her not to leave him as others had. Jeziasi struggles to keep her emotions inside, she knows she is surrounded by the undead, by her enemies. But Viperish Night... she cannot see him as her enemy, though she should. Jeziasi stays still until Zirasha and Tyranius leave the room.  
Once they leave Jeziasi raises her head and Viperish Night jerks and is kneeling in front of her in moments his eyes staring into hers. Viperish Night's claws touch her face gently. "Egg-mother you're awake? Tell me your awake," he softly says.  
Jeziasi slowly blinks and nods. Viperish Night leans into her, his forehead pressed against hers, his breath hot on her face. Jeziasi tries to speak but struggles. How long has she been silent? How long has she been in the forest, so far away from the waking world, how did she get here? The last question comes to her. Of course...that is why he came for her, to bring her to Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night reads her eyes. "My former mentor brought you here a month ago." His eyes narrow in rage. "What did he do to you?"  
Jeziasi looks into his eyes. He deserves to know. He needs to know. "I know him, I know his master." she finally manages to say, her voice rusty from not speaking for so long. Jeziasi reaches up to touch Viperish Night's face, his scales cool against her palm.  
Viperish Night cups her hand in his, feels the trembling coursing through her. He can see in her eyes how shattered she is and how she is struggling to piece it all back together in some semblance of what it used to be. He is all too familiar with having to do this. "Who is he?" Viperish Night asks. "I will kill my former mentor for you, for so many reasons. As horribly and painfully as I can manage."  
The depths of hate and rage in those eyes. The things that must have been done to him. "Hunt together," Jeziasi insists.  
Viperish Night stills. Hunt...together? Yes, both his former mentor and his Egg-father hurt both of them so very much, manipulated everything. They could hunt them together, torture and kill them together. Viperish Night nods. "Yes." He says.  
"He came to the past with you, did he not? In that strange glowing form?" Jeziasi finally asks. When he nods she continues. "It's why he never was in his true form, that part makes sense. He could not risk it with his past self there. He could change that now...but his master will not let him."  
"He wants me to free him," Viperish Night says. "If it means I can kill him...but who would I be freeing? What kind of monster is he?"  
Jeziasi's hand falls to the ground and her fingernails scour the stone floor. She slowly brings her eyes to Viperish Night. "Someone I fought against, along with his master years ago during the wars. I never thought...I never thought a lot of things." Viperish Night touches her hand, still trembling and she continues slowly. "Viperish Night, your mentor is Mannimarco."  
Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock. He knows who that is, he has heard the stories, the nightmares of what that necromancer had done, what he had almost done. "That's...how is that possible?" he hisses. "Why..." he trails off.  
"Impossible, yet not," Jeziasi says and her head falls, hair covering her face as she struggles with the next thing she knows, the thing that shattered her. "Swims-In-Silence..." she trails off and starts shaking.  
Viperish Night grasps her arms as he holds her steady. "We will hunt him too, Egg-mother. I want to rend him to pieces! It is the only reason I tolerate my former mentor helping me. Because it is the only way I know of to get to him." He pauses a moment. "Tell me what you must, Egg-mother."  
Jeziasi forces her head up to Viperish Night's. "Yes, we must. We must hunt him, and we must kill him." The look in her eyes causes Viperish Night to drop his hands from her arms. Determination, rage and hate, and such fear. His eyes gaze into hers as she reaches up to touch his face again. "You are mine, no matter who your father is. Remember this."  
Viperish Night's eyes widen in shock. Hers, she was...accepting him? Despite what he was, despite everything? And what did she mean by who? Swims-In-Silence was his Egg-father, was he not? Yes, she had just said that. His eyes show his confusion. "What do you mean by who?"  
Jeziasi looks into his eyes, trying to gather enough strength. "Viperish Night, your Egg-Father is a Daedric Prince."  
Viperish Night goes utterly still his eyes filling with shock. He starts to ask her more but the expression on her face, she's still struggling to be here, to be awake. She's in such agony, knowing such truth and fighting not to hide from it again. And in truth, he knows does he not? Viperish Night was not involved in the wars but he knew of Mannimarco, and he knows what master he served. Still served as Jeziasi had said. "How is all this possible?" Viperish Night asks instead.  
Jeziasi just shakes her head looking utterly lost. "There is so much I do not know. All I know is I should have known who Swims-In-Silence was. He has the same eyes as the monster I hunted during the wars. Somehow my mind just pushed it away, how could this Argonian be anything but an Argonian? I thought there was no way I could be hunted in such a way. In any way." Jeziasi lowers her eyes.  
"Can we even kill him?" Viperish Night asks.  
Jeziasi raises her eyes again, Viperish Night sees the hunter in them. "We can hunt him and make him prey. I have done it before. Swims-In-Silence is a mortal form, despite what he truly is. Hircine said it will be enough to hurt him a great deal."  
"The ways we will hunt him, torture him, kill him, Egg-mother!" Viperish Night hisses, a dark look entering his eyes.  
Jeziasi looks into his eyes. The same thing she has seen before is within them. Darkness and madness, anything not a monster is nearly gone. He has shown her there was more, but it was dwarfed by the darkness, he was utterly lost in it. But still...he still was hers, and she would never hunt him. What did that mean? Would he try to change his river? She wants to ask him, but Viperish Night jerks suddenly as footsteps approach the throne room. Viperish Night moves back to his throne and takes the chain in his claws, glancing at her once more before his eyes fall on Zirasha and Tyranius as they walk into the room.  
The two move to the table and Jeziasi's eyes follow them. As they notice the change both pause and Tyranius move toward her. "Wolfys awake," he notes as he crouches by her and roughly grabs her face. Jeziasi slowly growls at him.  
Zirasha shoves Tyranius aside. "Damn brute," she snarls at him as she turns her gaze on Jeziasi before standing.  
Tyranius crosses his arms across his chest. "What now, Viperish Night? Your pet has her mind back," he asks. "She is the Vestige, the fact she let you go is notwithstanding." Tyranius's glare falls on Jeziasi. "Wolfy could spring for our throats."  
Jeziasi stills. Amongst enemies...the ones who have killed so many. She remembers fragments of the countless slaughters all over Tamriel, they showed no mercy, left not a soul alive. Jeziasi knows what she should do. Stop them, kill them, escape to find help. Any of these. But... Jeziasi's eyes move to Viperish Night. Will he continue this? "You know now," Jeziasi says softly, her eyes asking the unasked question. Will he continue down this path?  
Viperish Night's eyes slide to hers. Yes, he knows the truth now. It explains a lot, though there are still unanswered questions. "Yes," Viperish Night says. "My former mentor is Mannimarco, and somehow my Egg-father is a Daedric Prince." Viperish Night is aware that Zirasha is staring at him in shock and Tyranius seems less phased, but he ignores them, focusing solely on his Egg-Mother as he continues speaking. "They created me, helped drive me into the dark for their twisted purposes." Viperish Night's eyes leave Jeziasi as he sits back. "But I saw this world before I was driven into the depths of the river. It is full of cruelty, full of monsters. The living are mad, Egg-mother. I will not stop, I will kill them all." His eyes move back to Jeziasi's, the shock and utter despair his words have caused her. "Will you once more plead for me to change my river?" His angry hiss follows his words. So many have told him what river to follow, what to be. This was not what he had once wanted, but now... he no longer cared for another river. He wanted to drown them all and not even his Egg-mother could change his mind. No one could.  
Jeziasi hangs her head down. There was no happy ending...just a choice. One that is unfathomable..but any other will finish breaking her for she cannot kill her son. Jeziasi clenches her fists and then as Hircine's words come back to her she knows what she will do. She will choose the unfathomable path. "Your river is my river." Jeziasi whispers. "I will help you."  
The silence in the room is deafening. Viperish Night stiffens in shock, Tyranius stares at her unbelieving, and Zirasha's mouth drops open. "Damn it, Viperish Night," Tyranius says. "She's lying, she's the damn Vestige. There is no way she would even think of doing this."  
"Keep me leashed, keep me bond, keep me at your feet like a dog. I will help you." Jeziasi says again.  
Zirasha moves to Jeziasi and kneels in front of her. "Look at me," Zirasha commands. Jeziasi raises her head to look at Zirasha. "Will you hurt Viperish Night? Will you betray him or any of us, will you try to stop us?" Zirasha demands as her eyes seem to glow.  
Jeziasi feels compelled to answer. She knows she could fight Zirasha's vampiric gaze but she will not. "No," Jeziasi whispers. "I will serve Viperish Night until the end."  
Zirasha blinks breaking the gaze and rises a baffled expression on her face. "She's telling the truth. There is no trace of deception within those eyes of hers." She stands and walks over to the table.  
"Damn," Tyranius says again and moves to kneel in front of Jeziasi. "You know what helping Viperish Night implies, don't you? We don't just watch him as he raises the undead to turn against a town. We get our hands dirty. We help him kill everyone. No prisoners, no survivors, everyone."  
Jeziasi's eyes narrow. "You took me to see that. Shards of memory, enough to know pieces of what all of you have done. The atrocities, the countless bodies you've dropped." Jeziasi pauses, a look of loss crossing her face before her eyes harden. "If that is what Viperish Night wants me to do, that is what I will do. My hands are not free of innocent blood."  
Viperish Night snarls and tugs on the chain. "No one is innocent, and no one deserves mercy." he snarls at her, he then pauses and tilts his head. "It is what I want. You will hunt with us, Egg-mother." A smile crosses his face. "You will stay on your leash until it's time to hunt, however."  
Jeziasi feels Tyranius and Zirasha's eyes on her. They know of her enough to know she would never let anyone keep her on a leash, that she should in rights fight this. But... her eyes move to Viperish Night's. "If that is what you want," Jeziasi softly says. "I will do as you ask, so we may hunt together."  
The smile crossing Viperish Night's face widens and he throws his head back and laughs. "If the fools had any chance at all to stop us, they've lost it now. We have their Vestige." Viperish Night flicks his claws at Tyranius. "Pick a target in Cyrodiil, its time we expand to Imperial territory as well, tonight we hunt. All four of us." Viperish Night folds his claws together.


	52. Act 4 - The Horsemen Ride

-North-west section of Cyrodiil-  
It is wild in this part of Cyrodiil, filled with forests and plains. Snow drifts down covering the land in softly glowing white. The small settlement is far from any of the larger ones and a small contingent of the Imperial army is near the village, though they have not yet realized they are about to be under siege, since the group is hidden by the forest. Jeziasi places a hand against one of the trees, trying not to tremble, and not just from the cold. She had hoped she could sway Viperish Night but knew in her soul she would fail. He was so far in the dark, he forgot what it felt to be in the light, and he had gotten a taste for it. Jeziasi's hands fall to the knives by her side, resting against her armor. The feel of a bow is on her back. Her helm is a little strange, almost like a mask. Zirasha had insisted upon it for her and had pulled her hair in something that resembled half a ponytail, half a braid. Jeziasi's eyes glance at the settlement, then at Viperish Night who's standing just outside the woods, the snow falling upon his scales. Blue necromantic energy is moving down his arms, into the ground. The long-dead are rising, in the graveyard near the town and in the woods. A skeleton bear passes Jeziasi and she stares at it as it moves out of the forest along with other undead creatures. Her mind remembers this, but the memories are not clear. This is as crystal clear as the snow.  
Viperish Night turns his head. "Let her off the leash, Tyranius. I am ready to send the dead at the soldiers, it's time to play."  
The end is in Tyranius's hands, he moves to Jeziasi and she resists the urge to snarl at him as he unclips it and lies it in the snow. "Be a good wolfy," Tyranius says and turns, removing his scythe. "Or not." He laughs. "Come along, wolfy. Time to get your hands dirty."  
Viperish Night raises his hand and the dead surge toward the town, toward the soldiers. Zirasha laughs and flows into her mist form, following them. Tyranius stalks across the field and Jeziasi moves, stopping by Viperish Night's side. Viperish Night glances at her and withdraws his swords. "Come, Egg-mother. You may find you start to enjoy it." He stalks after the others and Jeziasi slowly removes her daggers. The look in his eyes chills her, but she will not turn from him. Will not change her mind. And so she follows.  
The Imperial soldiers stream onto the field fighting with the undead. The ones from the forest have surged and attacked their front, the ones from the graveyard their flank. Zirasha is moving through them at vampiric speed, stopping to drive a solder to the ground where her fangs and claws make short work of him. Tyranius walks into the midst of a group of them, his scythe flying as their weapons fail to even scratch his armor. Viperish Night is a blur of speed and swords, laughing as he cuts them down. A soldier moves behind Viperish Night and Jeziasi lets instinct take over, the countless battles and hunts she has been in fill her mind as she leaps, her blades cutting through the weak points in the armor to fell him. Viperish Night turns to look at her and smiles before turning back to the melee and Jeziasi joins him, fighting by his side. Soon all the soldiers lie dead on the snowy ground, their blood staining it crimson. Blue necromantic energy once more flows and the soldiers rise all around them, their skeletons leaving the flesh behind to stand ready at Viperish Night's side. He turns them upon the now unguarded town and stalks after them.  
Tyranius moves behind Jeziasi, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "You've been a good attack dog, but you are used to fighting curs like this. Let us see if you keep it up with the villagers."  
Jeziasi turns to look at him, snarling softly. "It is what Viperish Night wants, so I will." she turns and stalks after her son.  
A man bursts out of his home with a crossbow aimed at Viperish Night. Jeziasi's bow is in her hands in moments and her arrow flies, the shaft sinking into the man's neck. The crossbow drops from his hands and he falls. The dead surge into the village...and the screaming begins. 

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Viperish Night's portal takes them back to the tomb. Viperish Night moves to his throne and Jeziasi starts to head toward him. "Wolfy," Tyranius says.  
Jeziasi turns to him and then takes off the bow and arrows and the daggers, handing them back to him before turning back to sit by the throne. Tyranius follows, clipping the chain around her neck again and placing it in Viperish Night's claws.  
"So full," Zirasha says, she has fallen to the floor and is staring up at the ceiling. "I need to stop tasting every one of them. But I can't seem to help it."  
Jeziasi takes off her blood-splattered helm and lies it nearby. The town on the edge of Cyrodiil was not the only one they had gone to, in total three towns. It had been nearly dawn before they returned. Jeziasi's head spins and she rests against the throne, closing her eyes, the images of the battles...the slaughters playing behind her eyes. She could understand enjoying the hunt, she lost herself to it enough times. But to enjoy this? It made her breath catch in her throat. She had done her best to use what she learned with the Brotherhood to cast emotions aside and give in to her instincts to hunt. But now that it was over she finds herself trembling slightly.  
Viperish Night's angry hiss has her eyes snapping open to behold a familiar blue glow has appeared at the end of the room. Mannimarco.  
Zirasha bolts up from the floor and is in front of him in a moment, he startles back slightly. "You!" She hisses, looking him over. "I don't know if you are still pond scum or not. Viperish Night hates you, so that's a point for pond scum. But you never were like the other damn Altmer, so that's a point for you."  
Mannimarco raises an eyebrow at this. "She's awake then. I will need to speak to Viperish Night then. Alone."  
Tyranius nudges Zirasha. "Let's go spar, girl. Let the big boys talk." He glances at Viperish Night. "Hey pup, want me to take wolfy with us?"  
"She stays," Viperish Night hisses. Tyranius and Zirasha walk out of the tomb and Mannimarco walks until he's in front of Viperish Night. Jeziasi softly growls, fingernails scratching the stone floor. Viperish Night tugs on the leash. "Stay, pet." Viperish Night hisses. "I wish to rend him to pieces too, but until we have his true form before us...it will not be satisfying."  
Mannimarco's eyes move over Jeziasi. Her eyes, now awake. Splattered in blood, allowing Viperish Night to leash her. His eyes show utter confusion.  
"My pet hunts with us, Mannimarco," Viperish Night says, his eyes narrowed as he stares at his former mentor. "She wishes to follow my river, and so she follows my desires." At Mannimarco's unbelieving look Viperish Night shrugs. "Zirasha used her vampiric eyes on her. Unlike you, she does not deceive. And she has proven to be a vicious little attack dog."  
"I can see that," Mannimarco says and laughs. "I never expected her to break, much less to join you. This has been...entertaining." His gaze turns back to Viperish Night's furious one. "So she has told you who I am. Is that the only thing she has told you?"  
Viperish Night flexes his claws. "She told me everything she knew, I know who my Egg-Father is. He is a monster, but monster is to tame a word for the Lord of Domination even in this strange mortal form he's taken."  
Jeziasi flinches and then clenches her fist, trying to regain in her emotions, trying not to give anything away, though she knows she's failing as Mannimarco's attention turns back to her and so she just growls softly under her breath.  
"Of all the torments I could have imaged for you leaving me to his mercy when you could have freed me..." Mannimarco softly says. "I could have never thought of one such as this and the fact that you willingly submitted to him in such a way makes it even better."  
Viperish Night hisses and slams his fist against the throne. "Enough tormenting my pet. She is mine, not yours." His eyes move to Jeziasi's and she glances at him. Stay calm, stay silent, he seems to be telling her. "Get to the point, Mannimarco." Viperish Night hisses. "Why are you here today?"  
"Someone I trust has been rounding up what remains of the Worm Cult, those that escaped death and imprisonment," Mannimarco says. "They are yours to command, Viperish Night. When you need them, they will be ready. Many are necromancers, though not on our level. Use them as you will. They are gathered in Reaper's March, The Rift, and Rivenspire. I'll leave a map with their locations." He puts a map on the table before turning back to Viperish Night. "I am also working on finding the remnants of Veiled Heritance."  
"Is that all?" Viperish Night says. "My pet is tired, and I need to rest before our next assault."  
Mannimarco stills. His eyes move from Jeziasi to Viperish Night. "You have no talent for deception, my former pupil. But this seems real, is it?" he gestures to Jeziasi. At Viperish Night's narrowed eyes he puts a hand up. "No need to tell me. It is to your benefit if it is. He will come to you, soon."  
Jeziasi goes utterly still, the blood draining from her face. Viperish Night looks startled. "In my dreams, he told me I would come to him." Viperish Night snarls in anger. "He failed to tell me how to find him." Mannimarco opens his mouth and Viperish Night hisses. "Yes, I intend to rend him to pieces too. I do not care who he is, all I care about is what he did to us. I will make him suffer for everything."  
"He made you powerful." Mannimarco snarls. "Do you think that the level of power you have always had is due to just Bosmer and Argonian blood? The essence of a Prince runs through your veins. It is where your necromancy comes from, it is where your death magic comes from. Do you understand?"  
"Then why did the Wyrd never sense it? They knew that I was half mer, despite the fact I appear fully Argonian." Viperish Night snarls.  
"Really, Viperish Night?" Mannimarco says. "If anyone could tell what you were they would have hunted you down and killed you before you ever came into your power. Ever became what you are."  
"Perhaps that would have been best," Viperish Night says. "Because they will all die now! Why would HE want that? What is the reason behind all this?" Viperish Night suddenly rises and leaps from the throne, landing before Mannimarco. "Tell me, what is the reason for helping make me into THIS kind of monster?"  
The pain in his voice, Jeziasi flinches as she realizes he thinks of himself as nothing but a monster. Nothing but an abomination that should have never been hatched. She should stay quiet, but she cannot. "You're not," she says softly and both of them turn to her.  
"Then what am I, Egg-mother?" Viperish Night says.  
"My son," Jeziasi says and Viperish Night blinks rapidly and returns to his throne.  
Mannimarco looks at Jeziasi oddly. "This is not some kind of trick, is it Jeziasi? You really..."  
Jeziasi snarls at him. "I will help Viperish Night kill you, in any way he wants. I will help him hunt Swims-In-Silence and do the same." Her crystal clear eyes show the fire still within her. "I will help him cleanse this world of all the living, I will follow him into Oblivion if I must, Mannimarco."  
Viperish Night's eyes are on his Egg-mother. Wonder, confusion, and so much more in his gaze. He had done nothing to deserve this, and yet...he had her. Just like that. Confusion colors his gaze. Why? Slowly he breaths and turns back to Mannimarco. "Back to the matter at hand," Viperish Night slowly says.  
Mannimarco is silent for a moment before speaking. "Mortals have their failings. Emotions are one of them. He has made a grave error in what he has done. He has all the mortal failings now. He has what he wants, yet he will not end his vessel's life and return fully to what he is."  
"What he wants?" Viperish Night says. "What does he want? Or are you bound to silence on this too?"  
"You broke part of what binds me to him," Mannimarco says. "When you learned the truth. So I will tell you this, he is the one who gave the King's mage the knowledge to make the Band of T'zlich, for those who die by the dead it raises, their souls belong to him. Do you understand now? He has what he wants, though I know you will not care. I can see as much, Viperish Night. You will not stop until either your dead or everyone else is."  
Viperish Night's claws touch the band. "So that is what this was about," he slowly says and glances at Jeziasi.  
"It's what it always is about with him," Jeziasi says softly. "It's why he tried to consume Nirn, for the souls of all those who dwell upon it. Out of all the Princes, he is the worst of them."  
"Your both wrong," Mannimarco says and they both look at him. "It was just about that, yes. But I told you, he has made a mistake. Mortal failings, he's obsessed with both of you. It is why he's still here. He could turn his back on both of you now that it is done, but he will not. In his mortal form, he wants his bonded mate and his son by his side for eternity. Do you understand, now?"  
Jeziasi snarls, only the collar and Viperish Night's claws upon the chain keep her from springing up and trying to rend Mannimarco to pieces. Memories flash, ones she will never be able to forget. "Never again. NEVER. I made a mistake, I ignored my instincts that would have told me who he really was had I not been so damn foolish, never again. I will hunt him, I will make him my prey. I have done it before."  
Viperish Night's eyes glitter with hate and rage. "He may have created me, but that will not stop me from hunting him with my Egg-mother and killing him as brutally as possible."  
"Do you think it will be that easy?" Mannimarco asks. "I can see it now. He walks in here and you two set upon him with hordes of the undead." Mannimarco throws back his head and laughs. "He may only have a fraction of his power in this form, but it is more than you two have."  
"I have hunted him before," Jeziasi says. "Made him my prey, stopped his scheme of taking Nirn."  
"You had a little trinket to help you with that, Jeziasi." Mannimarco snaps.  
"And I have my little trinket," Viperish Night snaps at him.  
"That he thought up!" Mannimarco snaps back.  
Jeziasi scratches her fingernails against the stone and growls loudly, causing both to stop snapping at each other to look at her. Viperish Night laughs. "My pet wants you to get to the point. You have an idea?" Viperish Night's eyes narrow as he asks this.  
"Again those murderous eyes of yours," Mannimarco remarks. "I never tire of them." At Viperish Night's furious hissing he gets to the point. "Let him come, let him think he can have what he wants. Lure him in, wait for your chance and then kill him. Simple."  
A fanged grin crosses Viperish Night's face. "He never let his guard down with you, did he? Not even once. And now you expect us to be able to do this? You failed, so it should be easy for us." Viperish Night hisses. Jeziasi has fallen silent and she slowly turns her eyes to Viperish Night. He glances at her. "I will do what it takes to get both of them close to us. Close enough to hunt and kill, Egg-mother. It is what I want, so you have little choice but to follow it." At the look in her eyes, he adds, "You are my pet and not his. I will not let him near you if I can help it."  
"It may not be that simple, but do what you want," Mannimarco says crossing his arms over his chest.  
Jeziasi turns her eyes to Mannimarco. "You want us to kill Swims-In-Silence. That is what will set you free, is it not?"  
"A small price to pay," Mannimarco says. "You two can try and hunt me after you kill him. I will not make it easy for you. I know how to hide until a more opportune date arises."  
"Try?" Viperish Night says with a laugh. "We will hunt you and when we find you..." his eyes flash with untold horrors. "You will wish you stayed with your master."  
Mannimarco glares at Viperish Night before turning and vanishing.

Viperish Night sits with Jeziasi in her room and just looks at her. He can see how tired she is but he must ask. "Why, Egg-mother? Why do you not see me as an abomination?"  
Jeziasi looks into his eyes, those mad eyes filled with darkness, hate, and icy cold...but also filled with so much pain and despair it breaks her heart. She leans into him, pressing her forehead to his much as he had when he had been trying to reach her. "All I see when I look at you is my son. It took me a long time to realize that is why I could not kill you, even if everything says I should." Viperish Night is silent and Jeziasi cups his face with her hand. "You will never see yourself as anything but a monster, will you?" she asks sadly.  
Viperish Night suddenly rises. "Rest Egg-mother. Zirasha will bring you to me later." He turns and walks out.  
Jeziasi's eyes follow him before lying down and closing her eyes and falls into an uneasy sleep in moments.  
Viperish Night walks away from Jeziasi's room and pauses, glancing into the shadows. "When Swims-In-Silence comes, keep more of a watch on her." Viperish Night says. "He must not harm her. I need to be patient, need to wait to shred him to pieces. I will lose all control if he hurts her." Viperish Night turns and heads to his room as the mist in the shadows forms into Zirasha. She stares after Viperish Night before entering Jeziasi's room to settle in beside her. 

"Who do we get to eat tonight?" Zirasha asks over dinner the next evening. She and Tyranius are at the table, Viperish Night on his throne and Jeziasi is sitting by the throne's side.  
"Vvardenfell," Viperish Night says. "I have heard my pet likes hunting Dunmer, and we have not been there yet." Viperish Night glances down at Jeziasi. "Egg-mother, you have been all over Vvardenfell, you will pick our targets tonight."  
Jeziasi slowly puts down her fork. Memories swirl of her time on Vvardenfell. She had been hunting down the causes of Vivec's loss of power when she had been...distracted. So much had happened, enough to snap her control and drive her into a blood frenzy. Days spent hunting down the Telvanni's slavers, the memories were so hazy. She had been lost in her wolf and not once returned to mer form until she had come across as Ashlander village and almost did the same to them as she had with the slavers.  
"She wants to go after the Telvanni I think," Zirasha says with a delighted hiss. "She's like me, it's so hard to wait to go after the fun ones."  
"Telvanni are powerful mages," Tyranius says. "To take on all of them will attract a great deal of attention. Pick smaller targets, wolfy."  
They are waiting for her. Jeziasi lowers her eyes. It seems like a test. As if she will refuse, she knows the razor edge she walks upon. Jeziasi looks up and names two targets. "One is near the northwestern coast, they hold with the Telvanni's anti-pact policies," Jeziasi says quietly. "The second is a small settlement of Ashlanders if they still reside there. They are far from the main encampment of Ashlanders."  
Viperish Night nods and rises to ready a portal when suddenly his eyes narrow. Mannimarco has appeared. Viperish Night moves to him. "You intend to watch again," Viperish Night hisses. His former mentor has tagged along in the past on occasion to study the band as Viperish Night raises the undead. "Or is it my pet you want to watch?"  
"Do you blame me? I knew her when she would not dream of doing anything of this." Mannimarco says. "It is utterly fascinating that she would go this far for you. She always has been so ruthless in dealing with threats to Nirn. To see her become the threat..." he laughs and then at Viperish Night's furious hiss he shrugs. "Yes, yes. This is the part where you tell me how you will horribly kill me. I got the point years ago, my former pupil."  
Viperish Night turns from him to the others. "Prepare yourselves. We hunt again."

-Vvardenfell-  
Vvardenfell brings back many memories. The shroom beetles and the cry of cliff striders, the mix of breathtaking beauty paired with the fiery volcanic danger. Jeziasi had hunted the Dunmer here, even as she was attempting to save them. Tyranius moves in behind her, his hand near her neck. She resists the urge to growl at him as he unclips the chain.  
"Heard about your adventures after the war. Hard to believe the Vestige would ever go on a killing frenzy." Tyranius remarks.  
Jeziasi just stalks away from Tyranius to fall in besides Viperish Night, who glances at her curiosity in his eyes. "Why?" Viperish Night asks simply.  
Jeziasi falls silent for a moment. "It is a long story," she finally says softly. "Love, loss, then I got tangled up in the damn Telvanni. I found I hated them... hated that they kept people as slaves. For a while, I think perhaps I wanted to end them all."  
"You understand then, a little." Viperish Night hisses.  
Jeziasi watches as Viperish Night moves away from the group a little and blue necromantic energy starts to flow from him into the ground of Vvardenfell. Her eyes look at him with a sense of loss. Perhaps for a time, she wished that but she found things worth fighting for again. Viperish Night...there were no words she could say that would ever change that. All she can do now is follow him into the dark and so her blades find her hands and she follows Zirasha and Tyranius down the hill into the Ashlander camp as Viperish Night stirs the countless dead of Vvardenfell.

Jeziasi leaps from a rock as a Ashlander leaps at her. She grabs his arm and throws him into the lava. His scream and suffering are short. Zirasha is a tornado of fangs and claws tearing apart two Ashlander warriors and Tyranius is nearly buried in Ashlander warriors but as he hacked away with his scythe he is laughing. Viperish Night concentrates on slowly raising the dead since this was the first foray into Vvardenfell. And last and least, Mannimarco watching the carnage, his gaze focused on Jeziasi, utterly amused.  
As the last warrior falls the newly risen dead surge into the settlement, finishing off those who are left. Viperish Night laughs and snaps open a portal as his dead hide in nearby lava caves. 

The portal opens near the sea, a small village nestled next to it. Viperish Night wastes no time in raising the dead to send into the village. A flash of intense fire suddenly blooms in front of the dead, spreading across the ground around the village, protecting it. Jeziasi steps toward it, the heat hot against her skin. "Telvanni," she slowly growls. Old hatred rises and her blades are in her hands without thought.  
Tyranius laughs. "Do they taste good, wolfy?" and laughs again as Jeziasi snarls at him.  
Viperish Night's claws wrap around his staff and he slams it on the ground, a wave of ice streaks forward and slams into the fire with a sizzling hiss. The Telvanni behind the wall slams more fire magic into the ground and Jeziasi suddenly bolts forward racing towards the flames and ice. Zirasha laughs and flies into the air as blood-red mist and streaks over Jeziasi, and over the colliding magics to reform above the Telvanni mage. He turns his magic on her, seconds too late as she lands and tears his neck to bloody ruin. Another Telvanni mage raises his staff from the shadow of a building and Jeziasi leaps over Zirasha and collides with him with an angry snarl, her blades slicing into him even as lightning bolts run up and down his staff and into her. Viperish Night snarls and more dead rise and flood into the town. The crash of ice magic against them has his head turning and he dashes through the undead to find a third Telvanni mage who turns and casts a rain of icy spikes down upon him. Viperish Night's staff sparks with fiery crimson as he answers with fireballs before springing on the Telvanni, his jaws seeking the mage's throat.  
"DAMN IT!" Tyranius yells as he marches into the village. "Hogging all the Telvanni for yourselves."  
"You want one of us, you will have your wish before you die." Tyranius turns to find a fourth Telvanni mage that has appeared behind him. The mage raises his hands and lightning explodes all around him and surges at Tyranius, encircling them. With a mighty bang in contracts and a blinding flash washes over the imminent area. The Telvanni mage smirks but the smile falls from his face as Tyranius crashes toward him laughing. "Best you got? Not enough cur!" The scythe flies down and slices the mage from neck to sternum with a mighty splash of blood he falls.  
Jeziasi stands over the Telvanni mage shaking from the lightning shocks. Blood drips from her daggers as she stares at the bloody mess she made of him, even without her fangs and claws. She had thought past this hate, but this brutal existence she let herself fall into for her son brought everything to the surface. Her head snaps up as she hears Viperish Night's cry. She turns toward him then stops her eyes widen.  
The Telvanni had slammed his hand on the ground creating a rune of ice that had blasted Viperish Night away before he could savage him with his jaws. But Viperish Night leaps back into battle and his staff slams against the Telvanni's with enough force to wrench it from his hands. Viperish Night's eyes fall upon the Telvanni, the Dunmer, and for a moment memories of the island shoot through his skull and it seems as if Valsvis is standing before him once more. The world seems cast in red and Viperish Night sets upon the mage with claws and fangs and even when he lies dead Viperish Night still rends his flesh until nothing is left but bloody carnage. Viperish Night stands and breaths hard, his eyes full of uncontrolled fury.  
"Viper," Jeziasi calls to him softly.  
Viperish Night turns to her and hisses, "Do not call me that, Egg-mother! NEVER CALL ME THAT." Viperish Night closes his eyes briefly trying to reign in the anger. When he opens his eyes they are filled with icy cold. "Kill the villagers. Kill the Dunmer. KILL THEM ALL." he orders them.  
Jeziasi slowly nods. "Yes, Viperish Night," she says softly and turns to the village to follow Zirasha and Tyranius to deal with the villagers, now that their protectors are gone.  
After the battle, Viperish Night stalks through the village raising the dead and Jeziasi sits on a rock, dropping her head down, blood dripping from her. When she had lost control all those years ago for a time, she never was fully sure if every Dunmer she had slaughtered had been a Slaver or if there had been innocents in the mix. And the truth of it? She never bothered to find out. Just wrestled control back and went to save them. She stood in front of Vivec and wondered if he knew. And if he did, why he did nothing? She knew now he knew what she had done, and let her get away with it, for her part in saving him and Vvardenfell. Jeziasi's eyes move to the village, to Viperish Night. He had even more reason to hate them, but what she had seen in him with the Telvanni went far deeper than that. It was personal. And the flash of agony in his eyes when she accidentally called him Viper.  
A blue glow interrupts her thoughts. "Go away, Mannimarco." Jeziasi snarls.  
"Don't you want to know?" Mannimarco asks. "The cause of that little outburst?" he chuckles. "I could tell you, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi jerks her head up, her eyes filled with rage. "No," she snarls as she gets to her feet and stalks to him. "I will hear such things from my son, and only him. Not from you."  
Mannimarco looks at her puzzlement in his eyes. "You love him, Jeziasi." he laughs. "This grows even more amusing. Your son will destroy everything you fought for, and your greatest enemy is his father. And yet, you love him." Still laughing, he moves to watch Viperish Night.  
Jeziasi flexes her fingers. If she had her wolf still, if he had been in his true form...someday nothing is going to stop her from rending him to pieces. Or...watching her son do it. Jeziasi's eyes once more move to the village, to Viperish Night who's finishing up. She knew him for such a brief span of time. He had tried to kill her, he had done the most horrific things imaginable, and he would not stop. And yet there was more to him that and...he was her son, and she did love him. It defied reason, common sense, everything she knew. It drove her very path now, and it would not end in anything short of utter despair. She moves to him as he meets up with Zirasha and Tyranius. Time to return, to rest until the next night.

-Skyrim Tomb-  
The portal snaps shut and once more Mannimarco moves toward Jeziasi as the portal closes. Jeziasi's eyes narrow. If he says one more thing about Viperish Night she may snap. "What do you want now?" Jeziasi hisses.  
He studies her carefully. "I needed time to gather my thoughts on your performance today," Mannimarco says. "No hesitation at all, I would not think you to turn this easily. If Molag Bal had convinced you to join us during the war...things would be very different right now."  
Jeziasi flinches and then growls and stalks toward him, murder in her eyes. Tyranius snaps the chain in his hands. "Down wolfy, Viperish Night wants to wait. You know why."  
Jeziasi halts, her eyes filled with fury as her body shakes. "Damn you Mannimarco." she hisses. "The things I will help Viperish Night do to you, I swear on Oblivion."  
Tyranius moves behind Jeziasi, clipping the chain to her collar and taking back her weapons. "Let's get you back to Viperish Night now, so you can calm down wolfy," Tyranius says, tugging at the leash. Jeziasi's furious eyes turn to his for a moment before she turns and walks with him to sit by Viperish Night who's resting on the throne with his eyes closed, leaning back and recovering his strength and calming from the rage that had gripped him.  
Viperish Night finally opens one eye to gaze upon her. "Patience is so very hard," he hisses. "He can be hurt in this form, but seeing him bleed blue blood is not as satisfying as red will be. Perhaps we will eviscerate him and watch him slowly perish. There are so many things we can do to him."  
Jeziasi rests her head against the cool black stone. "Yes," she softly says.  
"I can still hear you, you know," Mannimarco says, arms crossed.  
Viperish Night's answer to that is to grin, showing each and every one of his fangs. Mannimarco glowers before vanishing and Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs.

A little while later Viperish Night leads Jeziasi back to her room and once inside she starts to pace around the room before turning to look at him. He was so vicious with that Dunmer, so filled with utter out of control rage. "Will you tell me what happened?" Jeziasi softly asks.  
Viperish Night stiffens and his eyes narrow. He knows what she means, she means what happened when he was in slavery, what happened with Oblivion's Isle. Slowly he starts to hiss, his eyes lock onto hers angrily.  
Jeziasi sits down on the blankets and lowers her head. "I...should not have asked," she quietly says.  
Viperish Night stands there and slowly calms down enough to sit beside Jeziasi. "Love, Loss," Viperish Night says, quoting her words from earlier.  
Jeziasi looks at him. "You had a..." she trails off.  
Viperish Night hisses softly. "The old me had a mate, yes. A Khajiit named Rishima." Viperish Night turns his eyes from his Egg-mother. Thinking of Rishima is not something he allows himself to do anymore. She is of the past, and of the old Viperish Night. She has no place in his thoughts, in this blood-soaked future he was creating. He never speaks of the island either, or his days there. But on this night, just before dawn, he decides to. "Betrayal, Egg-mother." Viperish Night starts and slowly he tells Jeziasi of what happened during those five long years. When the last word falls Jeziasi sits there in stunned silence, her face pale and her eyes filled with unshed tears and utter rage at those who hurt him so. Viperish Night rises and turns his back on those eyes. She cries for him? Rages for him? He may break if he looks into those eyes now. "Say nothing, Egg-mother." Viperish Night whispers in a broken hiss. "I told you so you would perhaps understand why they must all die. Not so you can cry for me."  
Jeziasi raises her hand and intertwines it with his, doing as he asks and saying not a word. Viperish Night lowers his head and shudders softly, his clawed hand grips hers for long moments before he untangles it and leaves.  
Jeziasi stares after him for a long time before she lies down. Her son is so very broken. In so many pieces that the only way he could put himself back together and avoid more pain was to become a monster. To try and destroy any part of him that cared, that could be hurt. He suffered so many betrayals, losses, such unending pain. All because of a single choice she made that sent all of this into horrific motion. Viperish Night...he needed her even if he did not think he did. She will stay by his side as she promised. Until the end. And she knows the end will come, Nirn has a way of providing heroes to stop the end of everything. It called her to do just that, and it calls even now on those four. She does not wish to fight them, but when they come for her son, she will. She will fight as fiercely as a wolf mother and kill them if she can. And if she cannot? She will die before her son ever does. She will protect him with her last dying breath. Jeziasi closes her eyes and falls into an uneasy sleep.

All is darkness and it is so very cold. Those eyes, they hunt her through the dark. No escape, no way to flee, nor to fight back. Jeziasi suddenly wakes up in a cold sweat shuddering. The room is bathed in the soft glow of the lamps and a presence is pressed against her back. Zirasha. Jeziasi's mind remembers this, though Jeziasi cannot fathom why she would do this. Still... not being alone causes the dream to fade and the terror to ease and soon Jeziasi relaxes again. She takes a breath to speak and Zirasha sleepily responds before she can.  
"Ask why and I will bite you," Zirasha hisses.  
Jeziasi closes her mouth. Silence seems to be best here. It was unsettling to sleep by a vampire, but it was more so sleeping alone right now. And it was oddly familiar, how many nights had Zirasha slept by her like this?

Viperish Night paces his room, his mind unable to rest with the memories stirred. Why had he let them out? Why had he told her? Those eyes of his Egg-mother, why did they contain...Viperish Night stops and lowers his head. Why did she love him? She never knew him before he was a monster, and in truth he always had been an abomination. His Egg-father had made sure of that. He always thought it was the necromancy that had driven the Hist to banish him, and then later perhaps the fact that he was only half Argonian. But...this had to be the truth. Daedric essence that flowed through his very being, always there, always lurking under the river like a venomous serpent. He never once questioned why his power seemed to be more than it should. It just was. Viperish Night swallows slightly and sinks to the floor his mind in turmoil. The answers to questions he always had threatened to drown him. Viperish Night shudders for a few moments then throws back his head and howls. The answering calls of the dead echo for a few moments before all falls to quiet once more. Viperish Night's eyes narrow. He needs to focus on what is right in front of him. Focus on his war, and focus on hunting his Egg-father with his Egg-mother. Viperish Night settles into his bed, but it is a long time before sleep claims him.


	53. Act 4 - Family Reunion

Close...they grew closer after each hunt. Soon it would be enough to set loose his army upon the world. Viperish Night quickens his pace to the throne room, so they may feast and then once more hunt. Viperish Night laughs to himself. He is starting to use his Egg-mother's terminology. A smile crosses his face. He wants to go hunting with his Egg-mother again, she is just as vicious as the rest of them, though she did not relish it as much, yet. In time, perhaps she would. Perhaps the look of pain he saw in her eyes from time to time would at last fade. She sought to hide it from him, but Viperish Night saw and a small part of him flinched from it. He did not want her to suffer. After they hunted and killed his Egg-father he would remove the collar from her neck and she would truly be one of them and not a pet. He was a slave once...he had no desire to keep his Egg-mother like this.

Zirasha flows through the halls of the crypt as mist and heads outside, reforming in the snow, the sun setting and casting it in bloody light. She walks softly toward the cliff, her eyes puzzled. She stops and crosses her arms across her chest. "Why are you naked?" Zirasha says.   
Tyranius turns around. "Girl, if I was naked I doubt I'd be in the damn snow," he says.  
Zirasha hisses softly. "Brute. But a brute without armor. I could rip your throat out now." She smiles, her fangs glimmering in the last rays of the sun.  
Tyranius crosses his arms across his chest. "Try it. Might be fun."  
Zirasha eyes Tyranius and then shrugs. "No fun when you're expecting it. I thought about coming into your room and tasting you, but I figured you slept in that damn armor."  
"It is being repaired," Tyranius says. "Damn Telvanni surprised me. It can take a lot, but been a while since it's been touched up." Tyranius laughs. "They are starting to protect the villages better. Hiding their presence to try and catch us unawares. It's going to get a lot more interesting from here on out."  
"Good," Zirasha says. "It's too easy. The blood does not taste as sweet when it's so easy to get. I want the blood of heroes."   
A look crosses over Tyranius's face and he turns to head back in. "We need to meet up with Viperish Night," Tyranius says abruptly and walks past Zirasha towards the entrance. He stops to look back at her. "Sleeping with wolfy was creepy enough when she did not know you were doing it, girl. She's gonna bite you one of these times." Tyranius laughs and heads inside.   
Zirasha hisses angrily and stalks after him. "Shut up, Brute. I have my damn reasons."

Jeziasi wakes and for a few moments, she just lies there staring at the stone walls. The nights of mayhem and slaughter...it was starting to become a little easier. Jeziasi finds herself slipping more and more into the simplicity of hunter vs hunted. No right or wrong, guilty or innocent. She knew she was becoming what Hircine would want in a champion, a merciless hunter who did not concern themselves with such petty things as sides. Jeziasi was with her son and that is now what guided her path. What she was helping him do... did still weigh heavy on her soul after a lifetime of fighting for Nirn. Always for Nirn, never for a single person. It's why she could go on after seeing her allies die. Why she could even kill a friend. Why she never stayed in one place and why she left everyone behind time and time again. What she had not realized that being that way only blinded her, made her overconfident and so sure that nothing she did would hurt anything in the long run. Never had she devoted herself to one person that was not herself this much. Disregarding everything to do so...Jeziasi closes her eyes. Viperish Night, he was becoming more and more lost in the dark. She knew a small part of him was not lost, was still here because of her. But one day she may lose even that and still, she would walk beside him. The Band of T'zlich was not helping, it was sheer darkness and malevolence, but if she tried to take it from him she would fail and that small part of him that was not lost in the dark would be annihilated by her betrayal, and so she never would. Jeziasi's eyes open and she rises, gathering her clothes and armor to dress. 

Dinner has just come to an end when a portal snaps open near the entrance to the tomb. Viperish Night's eyes narrow as he starts to hiss under his breath. It must be Mannimarco, yet again. But it is not Mannimarco that steps from the portal, but Swims-in-Silence.   
The room falls silent. Zirasha stands and starts to edge away from the table and Tyranius rises as well. Viperish Night stills, his eyes take in all of Swims-in-Silence, the ebony black scales, twin ridges of horns, the blue-grey eyes. It is the first time Viperish Night has seen his Egg-father in person. Only in his dreams and memories not his own has he set his eyes on him. And now? Now he knows just who and what Swims-in-Silence is. Viperish Night's eyes probe for the truth, for the Daedric Prince behind this mortal form. It is the eyes that give it away. Eyes that contain darkness and malevolentness and hints of something utterly unfathomable.   
Jeziasi also freezes, her hands curl as she tries to will her heart to calm. She is not prey, not again. She will hunt him, soon. But fear still permeates her blood, the heavy weight of the collar and chain reminding her just how trapped she is. Viperish Night's eye darts to hers briefly before returning his focus onto Swims-in-Silence as he stalks toward them.   
Swims-in-Silence's eyes move to Zirasha and Tyranius. "Leave us," Swims-in-Silence tells them. Both turn to Viperish Night and only when he nods slightly do they leave, Zirasha forming to mist to flow deeper into the tomb, Tyranius passing by Swims-in-Silence to wait outside the entrance.  
Viperish Night glares at Swims-in-Silence and then suddenly he leans back and smiles, showing every one of his glittering fangs. "You told me to find you, yet here you are, Egg-father." Viperish Night hisses. Swims-in-Silence stops in front of the throne, his eyes studying Viperish Night's for long moments. A brief glance at Jeziasi before he turns his attention back to Viperish Night. Viperish Night tilts his head slightly. "Yes, I know who and what you are now." Viperish Night adds, his claws running over the chain.   
A fanged grin comes over Swims-in-Silence's face. "Once, you were weak. I would have culled you if not for Mannimarco insisting he could fix it. Fix the weakness I saw in you. Now?" Swims-in-Silence laughs. "You've slaughtered so very many, more brutally than I would have once thought you capable of. You send them to my realm, and you intend to send ALL of them in time." Swims-in-Silence throws back his head and laughs.  
Viperish Night's eyes never leave Swims-in-Silence. Mannimarco was right. Icy dark and unfathomable evil in those eyes, but also obsession with the hints of madness such brings. He came to claim what he thought was his. Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he resists the urge to glance down at his Egg-mother, he can feel her tense under the leash but he must not show any weakness to this monster, no actual concern for her, and so he ignores her to focus solely on Swims-in-Silence. "Not for you," Viperish Night finally says, anger coloring his voice. "I despise the living and their endless hunger for blood and death. That is the reason I will purge them from Nirn, what happens to their souls is inconsequential."  
"Only for that?" Swims-in-Silence asks him, moving a step closer. "I see the truth in your eyes, you like being this strong. You enjoy the sheer brutality, the pleasure of your slaughters." As he watches Viperish Night's eyes narrow he adds, "Do not lie, if it was just to cleanse them, you would not enter the fray yourself. You would just let the undead do it for you. You could even turn your back from the slaughter, but you watch, join in. Swim in the blood of the mortals and drag the whole of Nirn into it." a twisted smile crosses his face. "You are my son, after all."  
Viperish Night's claws rake against the throne as he angrily hisses again. But he finds he cannot deny Swims-in-Silence's words. The attack on the towns had gone far beyond merely purging the living and creating an unstoppable army. The feel of blood on his claws, of the living, screaming and dying before him and his allies. Knowing that he could no longer be hurt, he could make the whole of Nirn hurt instead for all that had been done to him. Viperish Night lowers his head slightly and Swims-in-Silence's laughter rings in his ears. Viperish Night starts to snarl, his body tensing. The temptation to spring forth and rend Swims-in-Silence to pieces was near overwhelming. Was he as powerful in this form as Mannimarco had claimed? A glimmer of blue necromantic energy runs through Viperish Night's eyes and the Draugr stir in their alcoves.   
Swims-in-Silence falls silent and his eyes narrow as he reads Viperish Night's intent. "You would dare strike me?" Swims-in-Silence raises one clawed hand and portals start to form around the throne room.  
Viperish Night freezes, it would take far too long for the rest of the dead of this tomb to stream into the throne room from the catacombs below. As much as he wants to spring, Viperish Night forces his anger down and the Draugr quiet.   
Swims-in-Silence lowers his hand, the portals dissipating. "All of Coldharber answers to my call," Swims-in-Silence hisses. "Remember that before you act so foolishly."  
"Wanting to murder you is foolish?" Viperish Night says softly. "I have no mercy for any who threw me into the depths. You, Mannimarco, even Nirn itself."   
Darkness and anger grow in Swims-in-Silence's eyes and he takes yet another step forward. "You wish to murder me for making you strong?" Swims-in-Silence asks. "My essence runs through you, you would be nothing without it. With it? With it, you will make this world submit to you before you kill them all. And I can give you so much more when you are done."  
Viperish Night leans back forcing himself to relax. "I do not care about after, Egg-father," Viperish Night says and then tilts his head. It is still strange to think about, the truth of all this. "That is still an impossible truth," he adds.  
"Is it?" Swims-in-Silence regards Viperish Night's words and then turns his attention to Jeziasi and starts toward her before Viperish Night's furious hiss stops him.   
"She is MY pet, not yours any longer." Viperish Night snaps at Swims-in-Silence. "You will not go near her or touch her."   
"Pet?" Swims-in-Silence says as his attention moves to the chain in Viperish Night's claws as if noticing it for the first time. His gaze moves down it to Jeziasi, the collar around her neck.   
Jeziasi has remained still and silent this whole time. Nearly frozen in place being this close to him again. Before, she had not known the truth that she should have known. Shadowfen, those three weeks she was with him flashes through her mind, and it's all she can do to push them away, to control herself. She wants to flee or attack. Primal emotions, drowning out the common sense of the mer. But this is the way Viperish Night told her it must be, and so she gives in to the more primal side and growls softly. Viperish Night tugs at the chain. "Quiet," he snarls and she falls silent again.   
Swims-in-Silence stares at this for long moments then throws his head back and laughs, the sound sending chills down Jeziasi's spine. "Even I never put a leash on her," Swims-in-Silence says and his gaze snaps back to Jeziasi. "Would you have let me in Shadowfen, Jeziasi? I wonder. You let me do so many other things."  
Jeziasi curls her hand into fists as she lowers her head, hair falling over her eyes. If she could only change, she would in this moment. Even if that kind of hunt was doomed to failure she would try. Try to rend him to bloody pieces, as if that would be enough to purge the memories from her mind.  
"How?" Viperish Night suddenly snaps, bringing Swims-in-Silence's attention back to him, slight puzzlement in his eyes at the change of subject. Viperish Night looks at him, then at Jeziasi briefly before turning gaze back to Swims-in-Silence. "How?" Viperish Night asks again.  
"If you really want to know..." Swims-in-Silence slowly says as he figures out what Viperish Night is asking. Again his eyes move to Jeziasi. "A mix of the natural process and Daedric magic. My Daedra conducted so many experiments during the Planemeld, it was a matter of adapting what they learned to my purposes," his eyes flicker briefly on Jeziasi before returning to Viperish Night and continuing. "I took what I needed from her after, while she slept and along with the Daedric magic, the eggs was formed. Though only your egg survived."  
Viperish Night hisses in fury and lies the chain down before leaping off the throne in front of Swims-in-Silence. Viperish Night's claws flash as he strikes at Swims-in-Silence. Swims-in-Silence hisses and a burst of icy blue light flashes and throws Viperish Night crashing into this throne. "A temper tantrum, really?" Swims-in-Silence hisses. "I would not think you would care so much what has been done to your pet."  
Viperish Night hisses in pain then slowly stands, his eyes full of murderous fury. "She is mine," Viperish Night hisses again. "I will not let anyone touch what is mine."   
Swims-in-Silence stares at Viperish Night before understanding crosses his face. He can see the hatred in Viperish Night's eyes directed at him. "You hate me that much, you would not let me near anything of yours," his eyes narrow slightly before he speaks again. "The process did not hurt her. And she willingly gave herself to me. I did not force her." Swims-in-Silence's gaze once more moves to Jeziasi. "Did I, Jeziasi?"  
Jeziasi pales and shuts her eyes. No...he did not, on that he is right. Jeziasi opens her eyes and raises her head to look at Viperish Night, who reads her eyes and calms slightly as he settles back into his throne, folding his claws together as his gaze returns to Swims-in-Silence. "What do you want?" Viperish Night asks changing the subject. He already knows, but he wants to hear it for himself. He will never trust just Mannimarco's words, never again.   
"You are giving me what I wanted in the first place, Viperish Night," Swims-in-Silence responds. and his gaze moves back and forth between Viperish Night and Jeziasi. "Now I want both of you. End Nirn, then come to Coldharbour and we will rule over all the souls of this world together. You are my son, and Jeziasi is my mate."  
Viperish Night studies Swims-in-Silence his eyes simmering with near uncontrolled hatred. He wants to kill his Egg-father more than ever, wants to rend him into bloody meat as slowly as possible before he dies. "You sound very mad," Viperish Night says. "A Daedric Prince, wanting THAT?"  
Swims-in-Silence snarls at his tone. "Full of such insolence. You will need to learn obedience," he says.  
No answer, Viperish Night's eyes narrow. Does he even HAVE an answer that makes sense? "Never," Viperish Night answers him. "You may have made me, helped turn me into a monster, but I am my own monster, not yours."   
"In time, you will change your mind," Swims-in-Silence says, his eyes boring into Viperish Night's before turning to Jeziasi. "Hers might not." Again, Jeziasi growls at him and he laughs slightly, his eyes moving from her to Viperish Night a curious look crossing them before he turns and stalks out of the throne room.  
Viperish Night stares after him for a long moment before turning to Jeziasi. "Can you do this?" Viperish Night breaths softly. Jeziasi's eyes close as she shudders softly before reopening to focus on his and she slowly nods. She will do what she must to hunt him with her son.

Swims-in-Silence walks out of the throne room and pauses. Tyranius stands by the entrance, arms crossed. "Bring me Jeziasi," Swims-in-Silence orders as he stalks outside into the snow.  
Tyranius watches him go and then turns and heads back into the throne room, walking up to Viperish Night and stopping. "Swims-in-Silence wants to talk to you, alone pup," Tyranius tells him. "He went deeper into the tomb to see how many Draugr you have."  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. They must go along with this for now...to an extent. "Stay with Jeziasi," Viperish Night orders as he stalks out into the snow.   
Tyranius waits until he's gone before approaching Jeziasi. She's resting by the throne, eyes closed. The meeting shook her and Tyranius studies her for a moment before wrapping the chain around his fist. "Come along, wolfy," he says. Jeziasi's eyes bolt open and she stares at Tyranius. "You look like a deer with that look in your eyes," Tyranius adds.  
Jeziasi's fingers curl and she slowly snarls. "You would go against Viperish Night?"  
Tyranius yanks the chain forcing Jeziasi to her feet. "Its complicated. Do not make me ask you again, wolfy," Tyranius says.  
Jeziasi narrows her eyes and starts to snarl. The fear and anger that has surged in her since Swims-in-Silence appeared erupts and she suddenly surges towards Tyranius and slams her fist into his face, sending him staggering back. "Damn it," Tyranius snarls and yanks the chain causing Jeziasi to stumble and he grabs the collar with his other hand and lifts her up.  
Zirasha appears behind Tyranius snarling. "Damn it brute, what are you thinking?" Zirasha grabs his arm with her hand, her claws digging bloody grooves into his flesh. "Might have to bite you after all," she snarls.  
Tyranius drops Jeziasi and swings a fist at Zirasha who ghosts into mist and reappears on his other side lunging at him with her fangs. He leaps back and Jeziasi slams both palms into his chest sending him stumbling back. Zirasha lunges at him with her fangs and Tyranius snarls, his form shimmering as his armor appears covering him head to toe. He grabs a surprised Zirasha and throws her to the floor, then snatches the chain and lifts Jeziasi off the floor again. "Damn it you two, stop it now!" Tyranius snaps.  
Jeziasi struggles in Tyranius's grip and then stills as the realization hit her. Ever since she woke up something about him puzzled her. Something she could feel but was not sure what it was, or why she felt it. "You're his champion," she snarls. Zirasha has lept up and is staring in shock and anger.   
Tyranius shrugs at the two. "Since the war," he answers. As Jeziasi starts to struggle again he brings her closer why Zirasha starts to stalk toward him again. "Listen you two. It's Mannimarco I owe the favor to, not him. Today was the first time I talked to him since the war. Fact is, I like Viperish Night better." Tyranius pauses. "Not stupid. I know what you and Viperish Night are trying to do. Just go with it, you want this to work, stop fighting. You're acting like a pet wolfy right now, remember?" Jeziasi stills, though the look in her eyes is furious. Tyranius smirks. "Your more than just Hircine's wolf, or almost. I can tell. Not told Viperish Night that, have you?" Tyranius lowers Jeziasi to the floor, though retains iron grip on the chain.  
Jeziasi snarls softly. If he is loyal to Swims-in-Silence... then they have lost the hunt before they have even started. If he is telling the truth about being on her son's side... There is no choice but to trust him, for now. "Not yet worthy," Jeziasi says. "You better be telling the truth, or I will find a way to kill you before Swims-in-Silence destroys us all."  
"Thought he got all his blood-thirst from his dad," Tyranius says with a smirk. "Looks like some of that fire comes from you, as well." Tyranius regards her. "Gonna be good now?"   
The rage builds in Jeziasi's eyes, along with a hint of fear before she wills her eyes to turn cold and she at last looks aside.  
Zirasha hisses louder and Tyranius glances at her. "I'll stay near her, girl. Viperish Night told me to, after all," he tells her.   
"You better, you damn brute." Zirasha hisses.   
Jeziasi glances at both of them. Zirasha was...oddly protective of her. She chooses to focus on that and it helps her heartbeat to slow somewhat.  
Tyranius tugs on the chain. "Come wolfy, before he wonders what's taken so long." Jeziasi forces herself to walk behind him.   
Zirasha looks at the two. "Tyranius," she says and he turns his head to look at her. "You better tell Viperish Night later." He nods and leads Jeziasi out.

Tyranius takes Jeziasi out into the cold and snow. The chill of the mountain's night air reminds Jeziasi far too much of Coldharbour and she starts shivering and can't seem to stop. Tyranius turns his head to give her a look and she thinks, perhaps she should not try to stop. Be Viperish Night's pet, let Swims-in-Silence believe he can have them in time, despite everything that monster has done.   
Tyranius stops near the cliff and Swims-in-Silence is standing before it looking out. Tyranius moves behind Jeziasi and shoves her down on her knees, keeping a heavy hand on her shoulder. Swims-in-Silence turns and his eyes fall on Jeziasi. Those eyes...the eyes of her greatest enemy, the eyes she gave herself to, the eyes that sought to dominate and control utterly. How had she not known? How could one be so blind? Jeziasi drops her eyes unable to keep them locked onto his. Swims-in-Silence stalks toward her and glances sharply at Tyranius.  
"Vicious little attack dog our wolfy is," Tyranius says. "She may bite, without Viperish Night here to bring her to heel. I'll keep watch on wolfy here why you talk to her."  
It takes all Jeziasi has not to snarl, to attack, to do anything but kneel in the snow as Swims-in-Silence moves closer to her. Jeziasi's skin crawls, how had he kept her instincts down to such an extent that she would continue to ignore them even when he... Jeziasi's fingers claw at the snowy ground as Swims-in-Silence stops in front of her. Jeziasi closes her eyes, she must hunt him, must find a way, but now... for now... she struggles to remain calm, even though her calm and strength threaten to leave her.  
"On her knees, properly leashed," Swims-in-Silence hisses and Jeziasi's pulse quickens. His voice is far different in Swims-in-Silence than his true form. Argonian, deception wrapped in scales. Jeziasi had grown attached to the Argonian's and their culture after the war, one reason she had settled in Shadowfen. She had even thought of one day attempting to enter Black Marsh. It is true he needed to be Argonian for his plan, but the fact is she would more easily go with an Argonian than another race. She had found them to be undeceptive, open.   
Swims-in-Silence crouches in front of her. "You would not speak to me in the throne room, and still you show me only silence? You are my bonded mate, Jeziasi. You should speak with me." Jeziasi flinches. She tries to hide it but by his laughter, she knows she has failed. Swims-in-Silence raises his clawed hand and grips her face with it. "Collared, chained, no attempt to fight this. You refused submission during the war, submitted to me in this form and now..." he trails off and studies her. "Open your eyes," Swims-in-Silence hisses. Tyranius's grip on her shoulder tightens as if telling her to obey. She has no recourse but to trust that his loyalty does lie with her son and not his Prince at this moment and so she slowly opens her eyes. Swims-in-Silence studies them for long moments. "You submit to our son," he finishes, and with a fanged smile, he rises. "In time, Viperish Night will accept that I have given him such power, enough for his hate to fade and for us to walk together." Jeziasi softly growls and Swims-in-Silence laughs again. "You think not? The band will utterly corrupt him in time, when he finishes cleansing this world we will walk in Coldharber together, with all the souls of Nirn under our feet. And then you will have no choice but to walk by my side, for you will never stray from his, is that not right? Is that not what I see in your eyes?" The blood drains from Jeziasi's face and her eyes fill with horror. She meant what she said, that she would follow Viperish Night into Oblivion. It just never occurred to her that if they failed to hunt Swims-in-Silence that could be the result if Viperish Night was not stopped. Swims-in-Silence was right... if it came to that... if that is what Viperish Night wanted...she would. Jeziasi drops her head. Swims-in-Silence laughs. "That is what I thought," he turns from her. "I will return when next Viperish Night hunts. I want to watch you murder innocents, Jeziasi. I want to see you covered in their blood." he laughs once more and a portal opens and he walks through and is gone. 

Jeziasi lets Tyranius lead her back to the throne room where Viperish Night is pacing back and forth angrily as Zirasha has cautioned him to stay, despite his desire to rush out in the snow. Viperish Night hisses as they come in and he stalks to them, holding out his clawed hand. Tyranius puts the chain in Viperish Night's claws and Viperish Night just stares at him with fury in his eyes as the Draugr stir from their alcoves. "He can't spy on us, pup," Tyranius says. "Mannimarco made sure of that."  
"I should tear you apart," Viperish Night says.   
"Told you not to trust me, pup," Tyranius says. "But back then I did not know you." Tyranius suddenly drops to his knees before Viperish Night, kneeling before him. "As I told Zirasha and Jeziasi, I like you better. Damn my Prince, if that remains your wish."  
Viperish Night stares down at Tyranius in shock and then turns to Jeziasi, a question in his eyes. He should not trust him or this, but...  
"Tyranius stayed with me, Just as you asked him." Jeziasi says. "If he is with his Prince, we are damned. We have no choice but to trust he's not."  
Viperish Night's gaze moves back to Tyranius as Zirasha moves closer. She stares at the scene, and Tyranius moves his eyes from the floor to her. "Since we are debating loyalty here girl, need to ask how where you made?"  
Zirasha stills, not even breathing. It is not in her nature to share her past, the fact that Tyranius knows still makes her hiss in fury. But this right now? If she said nothing...her gaze moves to Viperish Night. Tyranius had tested things by withholding the truth, by following orders to take Jeziasi to Swims-in-Silence. She understands and so she speaks. "Swims-in-Silence threw me through a portal and after that...everything was unending icy darkness, agonizing pain, being torn apart until the world almost ceased to be and then blood being forced into me, blood that burned like frigid ice."  
"Damn it..." Tyranius breaths.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "What does that mean?" he asks.  
"Zirasha was not infected with the vampiric virus. She was created. She is an original. He did this." Tyranius answers.  
"Swims-in-Silence..." Viperish Night hisses.  
"No, pup. His other self." Tyranius says.  
Zirasha's eyes look lost briefly before they harden. "I do not regret it!" she snarls. "He kept his promise, I am without fear and never can be caught!" Zirasha then drops to her knees. "But it is Viperish Night I follow. Viperish Night's genocide that quickens my blood. I have no loyalty to any other."  
Jeziasi touches Viperish Night's hand briefly before she also kneels. "I may yet become Hircine's champion, Viperish Night. Still, I hunt with you, until the very end," she says softly.  
Viperish Night gazes at the three of them, struggling to keep his expression closed. He does not want to show his emotions, to show that this rather astonishes him. Thoughts of betrayal stir in his head, those he has trusted in the past have always betrayed him, either with treachery or when death has taken him. He should not accept this, but...he finds he wants to and so he throws back his head and laughs. "We will hunt Swims-in-Silence, along with all of Nirn!" he shouts as his eyes glimmer. "Mannimarco as well, though I can wait until the end to eviscerate him, he has his uses till then." Viperish Night clicks his claws together. "Rise, and let us go hunt. We have not done so tonight. It's time to target Wrothgar."  
Tyranius rises with a grin. "Orcs! They should give us a hella of a fight," he explains.  
Zirasha rises as well. "I have yet to taste Orc blood. I want some Orc blood!" she says with a fanged grin.  
Jeziasi rises as well. "He may watch us. He said as much, Viperish Night," she tells him.  
Viperish Night's response is to laugh. "All of us show no mercy, if he wants to watch us brutally kill some Orcs, let him." Viperish Night snaps open a portal and Zirasha and Tyranius cross through.   
Viperish Night starts to follow, leading Jeziasi but she softly speaks. "Wait." Viperish Night pauses and Jeziasi moves closer, resting a hand on his back. "You could be lost to this, Viperish Night. He could claim you, with this road you travel down, despite your hate, your desire to murder him that I share with you." Viperish Night tenses under her hold and Jeziasi trembles slightly. "I am not telling you to change, Viperish Night. I am not telling you what river to swim in. I will follow you to the ends of Nirn and beyond. All I want you to know right now is what the cost may be."  
Viperish Night stills and his head drops. "Egg-mother..." he breaths. "I will not let him have either of us. But it's too late to swim in another river. I am lost, and will drown the world for it." Viperish Night walks through the portal and Jeziasi has little recourse but to follow as if she would or could do anything else at this point.

-Deep in the mountains of Wrothgar-  
Viperish Night stands near the keep, necromantic energy flowing from him into the ground. There is an abundance of the dead in these mountains and the Ogre and Troll skeletons assault the walls of the keep even as he raises Orcs, bears, Echatere, and more. There are so many skeletons rising from the ground, the mountains, they flow around the group as if they are a river unto themselves. Tyranius heaves his scythe. "I'd say overkill, pup, but I'm not fond of family reunions myself." Viperish Night glances at him and hisses and Tyranius laughs. "I know pup! Kill them all." Tyranius moves to the keep as the walls start to fall under the assault and a wave of Orc's stream out screaming for Malacath. Zirasha surges into her mist form, reforming amid a group of them, enjoying slicing them with daggers before turning her fangs onto them.  
Jeziasi moves close to Viperish Night, her daggers in her hands. The feel of eyes watching her sends chills down her spine and she softly whispers to him. "He's watching us, Viperish Night."  
Viperish Night's claws find his swords. "Be bad, pet." Viperish Night hisses back. "Kill them without mercy for me...and for our hunt." Viperish Night starts to stalk towards the Orcs, murder in his eyes and Jeziasi follows her son. This night has shaken them both, and though she knows it's wrong, she lets herself go, losing herself in the slaughter. Burying it all under so much blood.

Viperish Night stands in the middle of the Orc keep after, the skeletons of the fallen rising all around him. Jeziasi is at his back, blood dripping onto the snow from her daggers, breath coming in harsh pants. Viperish Night lost his swords to the chaos and gave in to the urge to rend the Orcs with his claws, they are sticky with their blood. His eyes dive into the shadows and at last, he sees his Egg-father, watching from the edge of the keep with a twisted grin on his face. Viperish Night watches him for long moments until Swims-In-Silence turns and vanishes. It is with a strange pain that Viperish Night realizes he may be more like that monster then...his gaze turns to his Egg-mother. He was more like her, once. Before the river drowned him. Jeziasi glances at him back, her eyes seem more like a wild creature for a few moments before they settle. This night has been so very long, but they cannot rest yet. If he sends them home after this one keep... Viperish Night turns from Jeziasi as Tyranius and Zirasha move to them. "We keep going till the dawn," Viperish Night says as he opens another portal, to another part of Wrothgar, another keep.

-Skyrim Keep-  
Sleep is like a distant dream and so Viperish Night wanders the depths of the crypt. The dead's eyes follow him, they know their master. Swims-In-Silence's words trouble him, the truth of it all troubles him, and his Egg-mothers words trouble him. Viperish Night has no desires beyond this world, he never once thought of what he would do once he ended Nirn. Would he wander among the quiet dead until he died? His eyes show slight puzzlement. What would his Egg-mother do after? Zirasha, Tyranius? He said he would end all the living, and those three lived. Though did vampires count as the living? Viperish Night hisses softly and suddenly stops. He would not end them...he had no desire to do so. As long as they never betrayed him... but still, what came after? Viperish Night's hiss turns angry and he turns and stalks to his room. These thoughts were pointless. There was still so much left to do. After did not matter.

It takes a long time to wash the blood off. Far too long. Jeziasi stares into the water for long moments, water dripping from her hair, the once clean water stained with so much blood. Her head spins and she closes her eyes briefly before she dresses and heads to bed.  
 _A voice calling to her. Jeziasi opens her eyes to inky darkness with the barest trace of light in the distance, and it is so cold, a cold that goes beyond flesh and bone, a cold that sears your soul, yet leaves your body unharmed so there is not even the hope of death to escape it. Jeziasi draws a startled breath in and then dashes for the light, bursting out of the darkness she found herself in. She finds herself on a cliff of obsidian black rock and icy wind slices through her. Jeziasi's eyes dart in every direction, her hands flexing as if they are claws. She does not want to look up, but she must and it is the icy dusk that seems to cover everything in a deathly gloom. Jeziasi steps backward toward the darkness, instincts...no it is her fear that is telling her to flee. But she must not be prey, so she forces one foot in front of the other trying to control the shaking that has gripped her and she notices an Argonian standing at the edge of the cliff. He turns to look at her and Jeziasi quickens her pace seeing that it is Viperish Night, but as she draws near her son she slows and halts. His eyes always are so dark, but now? Not even the smallest trace of anything else can be seen. Just icy dark and infinite cruelty. Viperish Night stalks the final steps to stand in front of her.  
"Egg-mother, you will stay." It is not a question and Jeziasi's heart sinks. This is what she fears, this future. All she can do though now is nod and stand by his side, Coldharber spread out before them. There are so many souls, beyond counting. All the souls of Nirn, ended by Viperish Night and his massive army of the undead...and she had helped him. Jeziasi swallows as her eyes rack across what had been living people, now they are but soul shriven and they belong to him. A Khajiit soul shriven below stops and looks up at her and her heart stops. Jeziasi starts to back away until Viperish Night tilts his head as he follows her gaze. "What's wrong, Egg-mother? You're the one that cut him down when he tried to take my life. I just sought to spare you so I had one of my undead finish him so you would not have to."  
The world seems to spin. "O..of course," Jeziasi manages to say and she closes her eyes briefly to try and center herself. When she opens them Viperish Night is utterly still. She touches his arm puzzled.  
"So this is what you dream about now?"   
Jeziasi freezes, she cannot turn around but she must. She must hunt him...but is it too late? Confusion crosses her face and then clears as realization dawns. this is a dream, or rather a nightmare pulled from her darkest fears of the future, that Viperish Night will somehow succeed and submit to his Egg-father and she would follow him, for she must follow her son. Before she can turn around, claws touch her neck and she cringes at the icy touch. "You're not answering me again, Jeziasi."  
Anger flared through her. She wants to turn now, become her wolf, and tear him apart. But she has not yet earned her wolf back and her instincts scream at her, and she has learned the hard way what happens when she fails to listen to them. This was a nightmare, but it was also far too real. Viperish Night told her of how his dreams tortured him, how Swims-In-Silence tormented him. This was Swims-In-Silence behind her. If she turned and attacked him...he would grow suspicious of them, he knew both of them wanted to kill him, but perhaps not that she was only acting submissive for the hunt. The dream version of Viperish Night turns and walks toward her his eyes narrowed slightly. Jeziasi fights against her rage and drops to her knees before him on the cold rocky ground. As the dream breaks apart the last thing she hears is Swims-In-Silence's laughter._

_The cold is replaced by warmth, the stone ground with grass. Jeziasi raises her head, Hircine in his Arawn form is leaning against a tree watching her and she rises. "He will not know I called you here, only that something woke you," Hircine tells her.  
Jeziasi slowly rises. "Is... is it right to act submissive to hunt? It seems against my nature, it is nearly more than I can bear," she admits.  
Hircine replies, "Each hunt is different, each prey unique. The prey that are the hunters are the most difficult of all. The hunt must succeed, no matter the path taken to get there." Jeziasi slowly nods looking troubled and Hircine shakes his head at her and she can see a ghost of horns. He reads her far too easily. "Hunt the frail and sickly and hunt the strong, it matters not. Only the hunt matters." Jeziasi's eyes fill with conflict. "You must shed these mortal concerns to truly be my champion and hunt this prey. You know this. Hunt those you think are innocent to convince your prey you're a monster. That he can finish corrupting you and your son and lay claim to you both."  
To Hircine innocent was just a mortal word that held no meaning and Jeziasi feels almost lost. Yet she knows he is right and her thoughts drift to Viperish Night. "Viperish Night, does he not desire to take all prey from you?" she asks. "Though I will never hunt him, not even for you, my Prince."  
Hircine laughs. "This is true, but this is a hunt like no other as well. Without you, there are only two possible predictable outcomes. With you, the possibilities are more uncertain and much more interesting. I am looking forward to watching you hunt." he says. And then his eyes narrow and the forest seems to shrink from him. "Do not fail me, Jeziasi. Do what you must to hunt, and when you need it I will grant you my power. Prove yourself and rend your fangs and claws upon your prey until he is so much meat. I will not stand any other outcome." His words echo in the forest even as it fades, the waking world calling Jeziasi once more._


	54. Act 4 - Watching You Fall

Viperish Night had risen earlier than the others, sleep far too uneasy to allow any kind of rest. He had gone to the throne room to think and as always seemed to be the case, Mannimarco had appeared. He even dared to question Viperish Night and his words seemed to mock him. Viperish Night clasps his claws together, a dangerous look in his eyes. His armies must be ready in every corner of Tamriel, he knows this. Hardly any land had been left untouched by Viperish Night and his allies. He could not yet target the Marsh, for the Hist saw far too much. It would have to be taken from the lands boarding it once he was done gathering the dead. Viperish Night's eyes slowly close. There was yet another land he had not ventured into. It was filled with the living like all others. It was a target. But he had not yet set foot upon that land. The land that... Viperish Night opens his eyes and snarls, slamming his fists upon the chair furious with himself for not targeting it before now, furious at Mannimarco for mocking him for it. Viperish Night trembles in anger, his claws scratching the stone. Zirasha walks in with Jeziasi a few minutes later and Viperish Night calms somewhat. It seems to ease him a small amount when his Egg-mother is by his side. Her eyes find him and she moves to his side, briefly resting her hand on his as she sits. Somehow she always knows when to remain quiet, and when to speak. After dinner is done, Viperish Night rises. "Elsweyr," he hisses softly, almost inaudibly.  
Zirasha leaps up, "It's been a while since I tasted a Khajiit. Their blood is so sweet," she says.  
Tyranius claps his hands together. "Khajiits always put up a fight, looking forward to this pup," Tyranius says.  
Jeziasi is silent, her eyes once against moving to Viperish Night. His eyes seem almost conflicted, but this... a chill runs down her spine as she realizes nothing is off-limits, and that any hesitation could cost them everything.

-Northern Elsweyr-

The portal opens near a small settlement in the jungle and Jeziasi moves to Viperish Night's side as soon as Tyranius unclips the chain. "He watches us again," she says softly. Viperish Night's eyes scan the jungle depths, searching the shadows for his Egg-father, just glimpsing the glimmer of the monster's eyes in the depths.  
Tyranius moves in close to them, his scythe already in one hand. "We got a large audience today, pup," he remarks. "Mannimarco is lurking further in." Tyranius leans in closer to Jeziasi. "Be bad, wolfy. Be very very bad."  
Jeziasi narrows her eyes, her hands reaching for the bow. She follows Viperish Night's gaze. Again, it was a struggle to remain calm. To not aim the bow in his direction and let the arrow fly. Her aim was swift and deadly but against him? It had to be utterly certain for the hunt. Jeziasi's grip on the bow tightens but she turns her eyes from the shadows to the village.  
Sparks of necromantic energy flow from Viperish Night into the ground and Khajiit, Senche-raht, and terror bird skeletons burst from the ground all around them. "I will raise more," Viperish Night hisses. "Go, and kill them all." Viperish Night's eyes pierce the town, seeking the sign of his unease. There had been no sign this small village was in any way protected, could they be that foolish? Or was the Khajiit that cunning, lying in wait somehow? Viperish Night hisses and expands his senses further as the dead continue to rise around him.  
Zirasha streams into the village as mist, followed by Jeziasi and Tyranius. The night's peace is suddenly shattered by the sound of heavy trap doors springing open and armed Khajiit's start to stream from the houses, charging at the group and the undead behind them with a mighty roar.  
Zirasha snaps out of her mist form behind a Khajiit and sinks her fangs into his furry neck. He roars and spins around trying to buck her off, but she savages his neck, dropping him with a crash to the ground. Zirasha laughs before surging towards the next Khajiit in a blur of vampiric speed. Tyranius's scythe slices another Khajiit clean in half and he spins and decapitates the next. Jeziasi halts and unleashes a barrage of arrows, none of the Khajiit will get past her to Viperish Night, this she will make sure of. Arrow after arrow finds a Khajiit's throat, dropping them in quick succession. The undead surge around them attacking any Khajiit they come across, some of the skeletons are felled but the number of the dead soon overwhelm them. When the last of the Khajiit warriors fall Viperish Night walks into the carnage and they rise to join him. "Finish it." Viperish Night commands and his allies and the undead shatter doors to kill the villagers as well.  
Quiet soon descends on the village and Viperish Night stands in the middle, his claws soaked in Khajiit blood. The moons are bright overhead and Viperish Night lowers his head slightly as Mannimarco and Swims-In-Silence walk into the village. Mannimarco looks around and then at Viperish Night. "Somehow I thought you would hesitate," Mannimarco says.  
Viperish Night's gaze turns to him. "All the living are my enemies," he hisses. "I was just saving some for last." Viperish Night turns his gaze to Swims-In-Silence who's watching Jeziasi. Viperish Night hisses softly as Swims-In-Silence starts to move toward her and Viperish Night quickly follows a growl building.  
Swims-In-Silence halts to look back at him. "Possessive again?" he says, his eyes driving into Viperish Night's.  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. "She is my pet, remember that." Viperish Night says. "Do not touch what is mine." Viperish Night's eyes follow Swims-In-Silence as he continues his stalk to Jeziasi, his claws flexing. It takes all he is not to stop him from speaking to her, but he must allow that at the very least. Swims-In-Silence stops in front of Jeziasi and she startles back as he stares at the blood splattered on her armor and flesh. "Be still, pet." Viperish Night softly hisses. "Let him see what kind of attack dog you are." Jeziasi's eyes dart to his and she lowers her head and stills, though a growl reverberates through her at Swims-In-Silence's intense gaze.  
"You still will not speak to me, will you Jeziasi?" Swims-In-Silence hisses. "Even now, covered in innocent blood. Do you like it, I wonder? Or will doing this destroy you?"  
Jeziasi once more keeps her silence, though the anger coursing through her blood makes it near impossible to keep silent, still. She can feel Viperish Night's gaze on them both but it is Tyranius who wanders over. "Careful, Prince," Tyranius says. "She's snapped at me for less. Wolfy's not yet fully house-trained, pups working on it still."  
Swims-in-Silence's gaze moves to Tyranius before he turns and stalks away, the night swallowing him whole. Mannimarco glances at Viperish Night, his eyes warning him to keep his emotions under better control before he follows, leaving the four alone for now.  
Viperish Night hisses softly and snaps open a portal. "We continue," Viperish Night says as he enters the portal, followed by Zirasha, Tyranius, and Jeziasi. Dawn is still hours away, and there is much of Elsweyr for them to play with.

-Skyrim Tomb-  
After returning from the night's work Tyranius leans against the tomb, the snow falling from the sky onto his armor. The night is nearly gone, the sun is soon to rise. This tomb, resting in the mountains of Skyrim is very far from the Imperial City. Once, it was all he knew, all he wanted. Things...went in a different direction than he thought they would. 

_Tyranius's family had always been in the Legion. It was in the blood, it was the path the family followed. Tyranius had no issues with this. Growing up serving in the Imperial Legion seemed like such an honor. Even when news of his Father's death was delivered, he had no reason to change his course. But the problem was that Tyranius found he liked the savage side of it more than the rest. Skirmishes with bandits and other small nuisances were fun at first, but it soon grew tiresome. Endless guard duty, dealing with small threats, it did not sate his growing blood-lust. It was war he had started to crave. The thrill of it, the fact that he thought he could perhaps get away with anything if only there was a war to let loose in._

_"Commander Vivicus, it has a nice ring to it," General Caesulus tells Tyranius. "Your father would be proud, was he still here among us."  
"Yes, General Caesulus," Tyranius says. "You said you had interesting orders for me and my unit?"  
"To the point, I like that." General Caesulus says. "Yes, you will take your men to the southern border. A group of Khajiit bandits has been raiding towns and trade shipments. Your orders are to stop them before they cross the border into Northern Elsweyr. Do not cross the border yourself, Commander."  
"Yes, General," Tyranius says and turns to leave, smiling as soon as his back his turned. This sounds a lot more fun than anything he's been assigned so far. Being promoted has its perks._

_"Damn cats," Tyranius spits as his men collect themselves after the battle. Tyranius's unit had surprised the bandits but their numbers were far more than reported and some Tyranius's unit had been felled and the bandit Captain and a group of his men had escaped across the border. His eyes scan the border and he turns to order his men to march across in pursuit. His second in command comes up to him as he does so.  
"Commander, our orders were not to cross the Elsweyr border," Lieutenant Ruseus reminds him.  
Tyranius looks at him with contempt, then addresses his men. "Are we going to let some cats get the best of us? Get away with killing our comrades? We cross the border. Anyone who fails to head my order... well that's treason, right? Let's go kill those curs." he turns and leads his men across the border and all of them follow him, despite their orders from the city.  
They catch up with the bandits soon, they have taken refuge in a small town, and Tyranius orders his men into the village to kill them all. The bandits charge out in one last stand and Tyranius's sword cuts them down, his men following suit. The battle is nearing its end and Tyranius cuts down another Khajiit without hesitation and it is not until the cat crashes to the ground that Tyranius realizes he was one of the villagers. Tyranius shrugs and continues onto the bandit leader, whom he cuts down without mercy, ending the battle. _

_Back in the Imperial City Tyranius is called to General Caesulus's office and once he hears what the General has to say, he slams his palms against the desk. "Demoted?" Tyranius snarls. "I killed the damn cats. They won't cause any more trouble. And for this, you demote me?"  
General Caesulus's eyes narrow in anger. "Be glad that's it, Vivicus. You went against orders and incurred civilian casualties. You will be assigned to the city, for now, so you can think about your future in the Legion. It's for your own good."  
Tyranius spins and stalks out, slamming the door on his way out. "Damn him," Tyranius snarls, before he notices a mer studying him. Tyranius turns toward him, recognizing him. Some time ago a magical explosion had torn through the city and Emperor Aquilarios had been lost, with no body ever recovered. The mage's guild had been found at fault, and it had been given over to Fellowship of Anchorites, led by a former Psijic mage, Mannimarco. Tyranius regards Mannimarco. "What do you want, mage?" he asks angrily.  
"You seem, unhappy soldier," Mannimarco says. "Walk with me, away from prying eyes and ears." Mannimarco turns and walks down the street, vanishing into an unused ally. Tyranius stares after him before following out of curiosity. Mannimarco turns to him. "Everything is going to change very rapidly, very soon. There is a new Legion that will be put in charge of this city, and beyond in time. Zero Legion. I offer you riches and power if you would join it. As your proper rank, Commander."  
"Are you mad, mage?" Tyranius says.  
Mannimarco smirks. "Molag Bal will drop his anchors and this city will become a war zone. I and my group are helping. This city already belongs to us. It is only a matter of time before everyone else knows it."  
Tyranius laughs. "The Daedric Prince?" he says and he moves closer to Mannimarco. "I don't care about gold."  
"But you do care for war, don't you?" Mannimarco says. "I've seen your record, excessive use of force, disobeying orders in pursuit of your enemy, not caring if civilians get caught in the crossfire. You want to kill, I offer that. You will have more of that than you could ever have serving in their Legion."  
A grin crosses Tyranius's face. "Why did you not lead with that mage? I'm in."_

_Mannimarco was right. The anchors dropped over Tamriel and the city became a battleground with Daedra everywhere, Imperials who refused the new order causing trouble, the three allegiances attacking. It was sheer chaos, ugly war and Tyranius loved every second of it. A group of rebels took part of the city back in the market district in open rebellion. Tyranius took his men to deal with them and set an example.  
"No mercy for the traitorous curs," Tyranius tells his men. "Kill most of them, but leave a few alive for questioning."  
The Zero Legion charges in led by Tyranius. Tyranius laughs as he brutely cuts them down with his men and soon the battle is routed and a few of the rebels have been collected. Tyranius stalks in front of the three and smiles under his skull helm as he picks out the one of the left. "This one is their leader," Tyranius says. "Kill the other two."  
"Curse you to Oblivion," their leader snarls.  
Tyranius shrugs. "If Molag Bal has his way, you'll get your wish. Makes no difference to me, as long as I get to cull the herd." Tyranius laughs and takes out a serrated knife. "You are going to tell me your name, the names of those whose bodies lie around you, and any co-conspirators that may still be out there." Their leader is silent, a furious look in his eyes. Tyranius smirks. This is going to be almost as much fun as war. The man lasts longer under Tyranius's torture than Tyranius would have thought, but in the end, he gave Tyranius just what he asked for. Tyranius kneels by the dying man and grabs his chin with his hand. "We are going to set an example of you curs. Track down your families, anyone connected to you, and your traitorous friends and drag them to the arena and let the Daedra have a bit of fun with them."  
"Bastard!," the man says. "Your the traitors, not us. I will..."  
Tyranius's knife cuts off his last words and he stands and kicks the man to the side before turning to his men. "Let's go round up these cur's loved ones. This will show the rest not to betray us."  
It takes all night to round up everyone, and Tyranius and his men drag them to the arena and throw them in. Tyranius leans against the stands, helm in hand, and watches with a smirk on his face as various Daedra are let out into the arena. The screaming starts soon after, and when it is over the arena ground is soaked with blood.  
Tyranius is just leaving the arena when Mannimarco steps in front of him, two Xivkyn trailing behind him. The necromancer's eyes dig into Tyranius's. "This act of brutality has caught the Prince's attention," Mannimarco says. "He wishes to speak with you. These two will take you to him, there is a place deep in the sewers where the veil is thinnest."  
Tyranius glances at the Xivykn and back at Mannimarco. "Not a request, but an order," Tyranius says.  
"Correct," Mannimarco says. "You may regret attracting his attention, Commander."  
Tyranius places his helm back on and shrugs. "Fine by me. He's the one that made this city so fun." One of the Xivykn turns and opens a portal and walks through it, Tyranius follows, with the second Xivykn following behind him.  
The portal opens in a vast cavern beneath the White-gold tower. Huge portals to Coldharber are glowing an icy blue and numerous Daedra are spread out across the cavern. The Xivykn leads Tyranius to the center and blue energy swirls, forming into an aspect of Molag Bal. Tyranius looks up at him. "So this is a Daedric Prince," Tyranius says.  
"Show respect, mortal!" One of the Xivykn snarls at him.  
Molag Bal laughs. "Leave us." The two Xivykn turn and walk off, leaving Tyranius alone with the Daedric Prince. Molag Bal stares down at him. "Such brutality. I heard the screams of those innocents you gave to my Daedra. Such fear, such agony. You have no mercy, mortal."  
"Traitors, Prince," Tyranius says. "The Empire is under a new order, those who go against it deserve to die like curs in the dirt."  
"But you like it, mortal," Molag Bal says. "You delight in the slaughter, delight in war. You will be my champion. Kneel and submit before me."  
Tyranius crosses his arms across his chest. "I don't submit to anyone, Prince," Tyranius says.  
"You dare refuse?" Molag Bal thunders. His hand comes up and a bolt of Daedric power slams into Tyranius, sending him flying into the air and crashing down on the ground. "YOU WILL SUBMIT."  
Tyranius staggers up, his armor cracked. He withdraws his sword. "I do not submit! I am not some mangy cur in the street." Tyranius roars and runs at Molag Bal.  
Molag Bal's hand comes up and Tyranius is lifted off the floor, his sword falling from his grip as Molag Bal brings him to eye level. "Foolish mortal. See what your defiance brings you." his eyes glow and icy blue energy envelops Tyranius. Tyranius struggles and then throws his head back and screams as the energy shatters his armor and causes him agonizing pain. Molag Bal drops him to the ground. "Submit." Molag Bal says once more.  
Tyranius staggers up, blood flowing from numerous wounds, the worst runs down the side of his face, having missed the eye by a fraction. The world blurs and his fist clenches. The power... and he, at last, realize the kind of power Molag Bal can give him...if he only submits like a damn dog. "Damn it..." Tyranius says as he, at last, kneels before the Prince. "This better be worth it, Prince," Tyranius says.  
"Insolent, but you, at last, see the wisdom of submitting." Molag Bal says as he once more raises his hand. More energy streaks out to engulf Tyranius, and when it fades he's clad in Daedric bound armor. A mace hovers in front of him. "Rise and take my mace, champion."  
Tyranius rises and grasps the mace. His hand clenches on it. "They've taken to calling me the Reaper, Prince. Mind changing this to something else? I want to reap souls for you, not just bash some heads in."  
Molag Bal laughs and the mace reforms into a deadly looking scythe. "Reap their souls then, Champion."  
Tyranius swings the scythe a few times and laughs. "Oh, I will."_

It was fun why it lasted, Tyranius thinks as he looks back at the past. But Molag Bal's scheme failed and Tyranius had been forced to run, or face imprisonment and execution. He turned to mercenary work until Mannimarco had appeared and called in his favor. Tyranius turns his back on the sunrise to return to the tomb. Tyranius smirks. Molag Bal, Mannimarco. They both thought his loyalty was theirs. But only one could have Tyranius's loyalty. Viperish Night... he offered the best options. A war to end all wars. Win or lose, they would go down in history. Tyranius rather liked that kind of legacy. Of course, if they won, there would be no one to write it down. 

A howl reverberates through the tomb has Jeziasi pausing in cleaning her armor. She starts to move to the doorway but Zirasha grabs her arm. Jeziasi growls softly. "Enough with the growling," Zirasha says. "You are not on show right now." Jeziasi turns to look at Zirasha and she lets go of Jeziasi's arm. "It's best to leave him be," and at the question, in Jeziasi's eyes, she adds, "Sometimes he loses control a little. More often now that your here."  
A look of pain crosses Jeziasi's face. "I..." she trails off. Does she cause her son pain by being here?  
Zirasha leans against the wall. "He acted like one of the dead when I met him. Trying to be, anyway." Zirasha says.  
That made sense, from what Viperish Night had told her that must have been soon after he killed his friends. No one could do that and remain unaffected. Jeziasi swallows as she remembers a young Dunmer woman she briefly called friend. One she had to kill in the end. Viperish Night's reasons had been different than hers, but the result was still the same, a wound on the soul, one that could never be fully healed or forgotten. Jeziasi's eyes fill with fury. Swims-in-Silence, he had done all of this. Just for what he wanted, he took an innocent soul and this was the result, someone so broken they thought the only way they could end their suffering was to kill everyone. "Damn him," Jeziasi snarls. Zirasha tilts her head, a question in her eyes. "Swims-in-Silence," Jeziasi says.  
Zirasha is silent for a long pause. "He...hurt you too." Zirasha finally says. "I killed those who hurt me. You should too, it makes things better."  
Jeziasi is silent though she regards Zirasha with a thoughtful gaze. The way Zirasha speaks, the small trace of pain in her words. Jeziasi closes her eyes and leans against the wall. "I went with him willingly, Zirasha. What happened is in part my fault. For failing to listen to my instincts, that tried to warn me. Tried to tell me just who he was."  
"He never told you what he wanted though," Zirasha says. "He never even asked you. He just took. Just..." she trails off, her eyes filled with anger and pain.  
Jeziasi is silent, she knows Zirasha will react in anger if she says anything. At this moment though, Jeziasi realizes that Zirasha is similar to her son. Both of them had been innocent at one point. Neither was born monsters, but somehow they had been hurt bad enough to think that was the only choice left. She knows Viperish Night's story, but she does not know Zirasha, and she cannot ask her. A lost expression crosses Jeziasi's face.  
Zirasha hisses angrily at Jeziasi's expression and stalks to the entrance. "You can't save us, Jeziasi. We don't even want to be saved at this point." She hisses again and is gone in an eye blink leaving Jeziasi alone.  
Jeziasi closes her eyes a shudder passing through her. She knows that, far too well. And she knows if she continues to follow Viperish Night, she will be just as lost, just as much unsavable as him, and Zirasha. She opens her eyes and walks into the hallway, though she heads not for her room, but in search of her son's room. She cannot just...leave him.

Jeziasi wanders the hallways till she finds Viperish Night's room. She halts in the front of the entrance, there are no doors and so she looks inside. The room is lit by only one lantern casting most of the room in gloom. Deep claw marks mare the stone walls and Jeziasi edges inside and runs her fingers against the nearest of them. Such rage to cause these... Jeziasi's eyes probe the gloom, Viperish Night is curled up on his side on the cold floor. His breath is ragged and blood still covers his scales from the night's slaughter. Jeziazi edges to his side and kneels next to him. Slowly his eye opens to regard her. "Do I cause you pain?" Jeziasi whispers.  
"No, Egg-mother, you...bring me a small measure of peace," Viperish Night responds softly.  
"Then..." Jeziasi trails off and moves her hand to his. Trying to understand the depths of this kind of pain, to understand him.  
"The world is what torments me, Egg-mother," Viperish Night answers. "I cannot rest when their madness rings in my ears. There is no true peace, save for death." His eye closes again. "Perhaps you should have ended me, Egg-mother."  
Jeziasi closes her eyes, a single tear falling to land on Viperish Night's face. Her hand moves to stroke Viperish Night's feathered crest. "I could not, I will not," Jeziasi says softly. She stays there until Viperish Night falls into an uneasy sleep and then she rises and returns to her room.

 _Jeziasi opens her eyes to behold the gloom, to feel the icy cold once more. Black rock under her, all of Coldharbour below her. This time he has brought her to one of the many floating isles in the sky. A tremor courses through her, a mix of rage and fear. Slowly the rage is overtaking the fear for the more she knew of what he had done to Viperish Night the more her rage grew. He had taken an innocent soul and corrupted it to such a horrific extent, for all she tried, she could not truly reach Viperish Night, and neither could she let him go. Jeziasi softly growls. She will hunt Swims-in-Silence, but for now, she must remain on her knees. Even though the hunter is near and she wants only to spring and hunt him. But she cannot hunt him here, in this world of dreams and nightmares.  
Swims-in-Silence's claw steps come closer and he stops behind her. "Do you ever wonder why?" Swims-in-Silence asks her. "Why, when perhaps I could have chosen another?"  
Jeziasi raises her head slightly. Her former allies had said he needed life magic. Bosmer, Wyrd. If she had refused he would have gone after someone else. The question needed not be answered, she knew he took satisfaction of making her submit after she had hunted and defeated him. So silence is once again her answer.  
Swims-in-Silence moves in front of her. "Speak to me, Jeziasi," he hisses. Jeziasi lowers her head and ignores him, closing her eyes. She feels his claws on her face, feels him lean in close. "You will speak to me, my mate," he whispers. "Or else I will change this dream to Shadowfen, to the memories we share."  
Jeziasi's eyes snap open briefly as her furious gaze locks onto his and then she closes them again trying not to tremble. "I know why," she angrily says. "Life magic and you wanted my submission," the last word comes out as a growl.  
Swims-in-Silence laughs softly as he drops his hands from her face. "You both look at me with murder in your eyes," Swims-in-Silence says sounding pleased. Once more he touches Jeziasi's face with his claws as she growls at him. "Truth," he breaths. "But not all the truths." Jeziasi's eyes snap open again. "It took so many tries to make Viperish Night's egg. The final truth of it, my mate, is that if I had chosen another they never would have survived."  
Jeziasi stills her eyes searching for the lie in his words, for this cannot be true. Swims-in-Silence sees it in his eyes and his claws move to her neck. "Vestige... you know it changed you. It changed your very soul. You freed the souls I took but they did not return to the mortal form, just moved on. Yours though returned to you from my realm. It can withstand my cold, none other could..." Swims-in-Silence laughs at the horror that fills Jeziasi's eyes. "Only you, Jeziasi. If only you were not so foolish to submit to me, none of this could have happened. I could not force you, after all." Swims-in-Silence rises. "Our son will deliver all the souls of Nirn to me and become so corrupted by the near-endless slaughter and the ultimate power he grasps that he will be mine. And you? You who is foolish enough to love him...this weakness will be your undoing for you will follow him and be mine as well." _  
His mocking laughter follows Jeziasi as the nightmare shatters and she bolts awake. The lanterns flicker and Jeziasi looks around to see that she is alone. Her heart is beating wildly and she tries to calm it. Swims-in-Silence could be lying. He is the Prince of schemes after all... but a deep chill inside her fears he is not lying about this at least. 

-Southern Elsweyr-  
Viperish Night takes them through the portal to Southern Elsweyr. As the portal closes he glances back at Jeziasi. She has been so very quiet tonight. Briefly, he thinks of the morning as he tried to sleep. How she came to him and tried to comfort him. How her tear seemed so warm on his scales, how her hand gently stroked his feathered crest until sleep, at last, took him. How could she show such love for a monster such as he? He had lead her into the depths of his river, and she followed. Never saying a word as she killed for him, threw away everything for him. This...to ask her to do this could not be right. But to not have her by his side, was somehow so very much worse. And she would not leave, even if he told her to. He turns his head to the town and the dead start to rise even as the Khajiit and Senche-raht burst from hidden holes all around the village.  
Jeziasi's eyes move over the Khajiit warriors and the Senche-raht. She never returned to sleep after the nightmare. After what Swims-in-Silence had told her was the truth. She wanted to deny it, push it away, tell herself he was lying. He had to be lying. But she had hide from the truth for far too long. She could not hide any longer. If it was the truth, all of this would have never happened had she not walked into the marsh of Shadowfen with him. The pain strikes her like agony and she withdraws her daggers and suddenly charges forward, throwing herself into a group of the Senche-raht. She will hunt, it drives the emotions from her mind, and the Senche-raht are the perfect prey for this. The group of Senche-raht roar and Jeziasi spins with her daggers, a flash of blades and steel that strikes out at the cats with savage fury. The Senche-raht respond in kind, claws and fangs clashing against her armor, rending into her flesh. Jeziasi roars and slams into one, sending it flying, and then turns, her blades slicing across another's throat, felling it. She feels stronger than she should be, as if she's the wolf at this moment, though the collar is still around her neck, and she has blades and not claws. The wolf...is so very close though and Jeziasi surrenders utterly to the hunt ignoring everything but the bloody combat.  
"Wolfy's damn savage tonight," Tyranius says to Zirasha. "Can't let her have all the fun. Let's go, girl." he charges at the Khajiit, who are only all too happy to meet his charge with their own.  
"Don't have to tell me..." Zirasha says, blood-lust shimmering in her eyes, though there is curiosity as well. She shrugs and flows into her mist form, reforming on top of a Khajiit who falls under her relentless assault.  
Viperish Night continues to raise dead instead of joining the fight. There is something...here. Something familiar. But it will take time to reach it so he focuses on it as his allies and undead war. His eyes find his Egg-mother and he tilts his head. Jeziasi is so very angry tonight. What upset her this much? Viperish Night raises his claws and several of his skeleton Senche-raht to attack a few of the Senche-raht on the edges of the melee to assist her.  
Claws on the ground have Viperish Night turning and his eyes narrow. More Khajiit is coming, so very much more. They must have been lying in wait, in case this village was one Viperish Night decided to target. Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs. If they had been here a few minutes earlier? Now, now it was too late. The ground starts to shake violently and a giant skeleton rises, roaring to the night sky. Viperish Night regards his second Dragon, though wing bones are so damaged that this one will not fly, even with the necromantic power of the band. But it needs not to fly, the Khajiit have no wings, after all. Viperish Night hisses in delight as the dragon skeleton charges the Khajiit force and tears into them, rending them into pieces.  
After the battle Viperish Night moves into the village to start raising the dead of the newly fallen. Zirasha is on top of a Khajiit who's clinging to life, taking her time drinking his blood, Tyranius is leaning against a wall, cleaning his scythe, and Jeziasi is standing amid blood-splattered grass her knifes hanging from her hands. Viperish Night walks to her side. "Your...upset," Viperish Night quietly says. Jeziasi turns to him and her gaze seems so lost. "So very upset." Viperish Night reaches out to trail his claws gently against her arm, not all the blood is from her prey. Some of it is hers. Jeziasi gazes at Viperish Night. She has not mentioned the nightmares to him, the fact that Swims-in-Silence is targeting her in such a way. She cannot. And so she turns her gaze from her son. "Egg-mother," Viperish Night says. "Have I...upset you?"  
Upset? Jeziasi turns her gaze back to her son. No, he does not upset her. Saddens her, makes her feel so lost, for she cannot see a way to save him. "No," she says softly. "Just..." her eyes move to the shadows at the far end of the village. Eyes again, watching them.  
Viperish Night hisses in anger and he turns. "Come, Egg-mother." Viperish Night says. "Dawn is hours away and we have time to be monsters until the sun chases us away." He moves from her to open a portal as his undead, including the second dragon, hide. Jeziasi follows him, followed by Zirasha and Tyranius.

-Skyrim Tomb-  
At dawn the four return, and this time Swims-in-Silence does not follow them home. Viperish Night relaxes slightly. His Egg-father's eyes always on him, searching for weakness, looking to see if he perhaps cares too much for his Egg-mother. He turns to look at Jeziasi. He wants to ask her about tonight, but she seems so tired and so he just moves to her and rests his head against hers. She leans into him, shaking slightly. "Rest, Egg-mother. Do not worry about me this night. You are hurt, and need to rest." Jeziasi turns to look at him and just nods and heads wearily to bed. Viperish Night watches her go and then leaves to his room.  
Zirasha moves to follow Jeziasi, but she stops to look at Tyranius. "Tyranius, why don't you bash heads in?" she asks, puzzled. When she was younger she found a few forbidden books on the Daedra and read them. She assumed that the Lord of Domination would give his champion his mace, but instead Tyranius had a scythe.  
Tyranius looks at her. "Girl, I like my scythe. Ever think that's what she prefers to be?"  
Zirasha just stares at him. "And you call me creepy? I always knew you had an unnatural relationship with that thing." she laughs and flows into the hallway.

Jeziasi bolts awake near nightfall. Again he came to her. Taunting her, showing her what could be...what he wanted it to be. And if she refused to speak to him, he threatened to show her memories she could not bear. Jeziasi takes a deep breath and suddenly stills as the hair on the back of her neck stands up. Jeziasi slowly sits up and turns around to find Zirasha watching her, her crimson eyes staring, searching.  
"Your hiding something," Zirasha hisses. "which means your hiding it from Viperish Night." She hisses again, showing her fangs.  
Jeziasi stares at her, "Why are you so loyal to him?" Jeziasi asks. Zirasha revels in the slaughter, the blood. And not just because she is a vampire. It goes far deeper than that, enough to chill the blood. But the Altmer is also damaged.  
"Do not change the subject, or I will bite you," Zirasha threatens. "Just a little though, or Viperish Night will be angry with me."  
Jeziasi rubs her face with her hand tiredly. "Swims-in-Silence has a damn dream amulet. He comes to me in my dreams. In my nightmares." Jeziasi softly says.  
Jeziasi suddenly starts back as Zirasha moves and is suddenly right in front of her, mere inches away. "Does he..." Zirasha trails off, a crazed look in her eyes.  
"No," Jeziasi says. "Just torments me, tries to test me. I will not fall for it." she pauses and finally adds, "He did the same thing to Viperish Night. It's how he tortures us. Though it's how I know what's going on. I can prepare myself, as best as I am able."  
Zirasha sits back. "Why don't you tell Viperish Night?" she accuses.  
"You've known him longer than I, you know better than I do what he would do if I did." Jeziasi answers.  
"Damn it," Zirasha says. She knows as well as Jeziasi that Viperish Night may utterly lose it and show far too much to Swims-in-Silence. "Why can't we all just jump him? We outnumber him. And we are all so very strong."  
"If it was that simple, Hircine would not tolerate me to hunt this way," Jeziasi says. "My Prince would be furious at submission if any of us, or all of us, could just kill Swims-in-Silence that easily."  
Zirasha frowns. "I want to help you two." At Jeziasi's look, Zirasha snarls. "You want me to say it?" Zirasha looks away to hide the pain in her eyes from Jeziasi. "Viperish Night is broken like me. The only way to soothe the pain and fear is to become monsters. So the monsters who hurt us can never hurt us again. You will never know the peace killing can bring us. You were a hero. No one tried to break you like they broke us." Zirasha lets out a breath and lowers her head. "Do you think this is the life I wanted? I want it now, but back before they hurt me... I just wanted a different life than my parents wanted. I did not want to be a perfect Altmer, living that kind of life."  
"Zirasha..." Jeziasi breaths. Slowly she reaches out and rests her hand on Zirasha's. Zirasha hisses angrily at her but makes no move to shake Jeziasi's hand off. Jeziasi takes a deep breath, knowing better than to push her harder. "I... I thought I was beyond breaking," Jeziasi says quietly. "What happened in Vvardenfell hurt me deeply, Summerset more so. And before that, the wars left deep scars. But I never broke from it. Damaged, but not broken. So I thought after all that, I was unbreakable..." Jeziasi trails off. "Swims-in-Silence showed me how wrong I was. He managed to break me. And I find myself utterly trapped. If I try to be a hero again, I would have to kill my son or stand by and watch as someone else killed him. And if I follow my son...I am something I never intended to be."  
Zirasha's eyes move from the floor to Jeziasi's hand covering hers. "But you follow him. You love him," Zirasha whispers.  
"I will until my last breath," Jeziasi says. "He's so broken, so lost. And yet I can see what he once was. It breaks me to know the torture Swims-in-Silence and Mannimarco put him through... the torture this world put him through. No one let him have any chance at all. Viperish Night, he deserves better but I cannot change the past. So he at the very very least deserves his Mother's love. Even if it cannot save him. Even if we fail and end up in Swims...Molag Bal's clutches." Jeziasi closes her eyes and shudders. Trying not to cry, for the impossibleness of it all.  
Zirasha turns her hand over and wraps it around Jeziasi's. "We won't tell Viperish Night about this," Zirasha says. "He cares for you too in what way he can. The thought of Swims-in-Silence torturing you...he may very well snap." Her eyes move to Jeziasi. "I know you're different than us, but let us go kill more people. Let me show you just how you can lose yourself in it. Why it soothes us. Maybe you'll understand a little better...or feel a little better." Zirasha releases her hand and rises.  
Jeziasi looks up at Zirasha before she too rises. "Let us go hunt with Viperish Night then, Zirasha. Until the very end."


	55. Act4 - The Jaws Slam Shut

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Once more Viperish Night wakes early. He rises from the floor and paces his room before resting his head against the cool stone, his claws pressed against the rends in the stone. All this time he had been trying to drown parts of his past. The parts that had once screamed at him to stop. He did not want to stop, and those screams just sent slivers of agony through him. Over time they had drowned in his river, sunk to the depths of it. But lately, they had been swimming up, since his Egg-mother had arrived. If she had turned from him, it would have been easier. The part of them that longed for what she gave him could, at last, drown, die. But instead, she followed him. Loved him. Threw everything away from him. How could she do all this, for someone like him? He was not who he used to be, and never could be again. That Viperish Night could have still been saved. There were people in this world who had been kind enough to try, and they paid for it with their lives. His Egg-mother would give her life for his, but he did not want her to die. He did not want her to leave him. Viperish Night closes his eyes and trembles, wanting to howl, but daring not to. It was too close to night, too close to the time when unwanted guests tended to show up. He must not show weakness. He must not show that despite the countless lives he had taken, killing those Khajiit had shaken him, and he had not thought that possible. He killed without mercy. Men, women, even what he once thought was unthinkable. No survivors, his very words. The infirm, the elderly, children. They died just as the rest did. Though in truth, it was the dead who took most of the most vulnerable of those they needed to kill. Tyranius never hesitated, but he had seen Zirasha shy away from the youngest, and he had made sure to have his dead outpace his Egg-mother, to spare her that at the very least. Was that...weakness? His Egg-father would think so, he might have even seen it, though he did not speak of it. Perhaps it was enough everyone was dead in the end. It was Viperish Night's actions, it was fully his fault. And when all fell quiet, he knew some sliver of peace, the peace he craved, he needed. It was better this way. Better to have them all die, even if it destroyed them all. Viperish Night lowers his arms and steps away from the wall, his eyes opening with an icy look. He turns and heads toward the throne room. 

Mannimarco is waiting in the throne room when Viperish Night walks in. Viperish Night narrows his eyes and hisses, then turns his back on the necromancer to stalk to his throne and sits in it.  
"What, no new ways you've concocted to murder me?" Mannimarco says as he walks toward Viperish Night.   
"Perhaps he wants you to be surprised," Tyranius says as he comes in and leans against the wall.   
Mannimarco gives him a look. "Please tell me you're not encouraging him to."  
Tyranius shrugs. "Whatever pup wants. The favor I owe you has been paid." he laughs at Mannimarco's expression. "Yeah, my days made now."  
Mannimarco frowns and turns back to Viperish Night. "None of you have any respect at all." he icy says. "Viperish Night, you know where you need more of your army. You've hesitated for her," at Viperish Night's furious look he adds, "You know I am right. You cannot hesitate any longer. You know that." Viperish Night hisses angrily, though he knows Mannimarco is right.  
Jeziasi and Zirasha walk in and both pauses seeing Mannimarco speaking with Viperish Night. Jeziasi moves to Viperish Night's side as always, casting a dark look at Mannimarco before settling on the floor by the throne and Zirasha moves to sit at the table. Viperish Night glances at Jeziasi. "Egg-mother..." Viperish Night says and trails off for a long pause before continuing. "I need more undead in Valenwood." Viperish Night finishes before glancing away from her.   
Jeziasi swallows slightly, her fists clenching. "He'll be watching again," she softly says.  
"I was just warning Viperish Night about that," Mannimarco says. "His eyes will be on you two, and you may not always know it." his eyes narrow as he glares at Viperish Night. "I have a stake in this working. Keep her on your leash, even if you do not think he will visit."  
Viperish Night tilts his head, he had forgotten, and Zirasha seems to have forgotten as well. Tyranius just shrugs when Viperish Night's gaze falls on him, and Viperish Night hisses softly claws running over the chain as he glances back at Jeziasi. "Just for a while longer, Egg-mother." Viperish Night says and she slightly lowers her head, allowing him to leash her.   
Jeziasi can feel Mannimarco's gaze on her, she speaks before anyone can ask her again, looking up at Viperish Night, at the unspoken question in his eyes, why he turned from her a moment ago. "Do not worry for me, Viperish Night," she says. "You need them, and you will not stop. I will follow you into the Valenwood." she trails off, still not answering the question. Trying to figure out how. How to give him targets against the land she was born in, grew up in, before her path lead her far from the woods.  
Viperish Night turns his gaze from Jeziasi once more, the pain in her eyes catches his breath and his claws scour the throne. "Greenshade. Tell me where to strike, Egg-mother." Viperish Night orders.  
Jeziasi very nearly startles at his ice-cold words, but then she feels it, Swims-in-Silence's eyes upon them. Viperish Night had sensed or saw him before she did. He stands in the shadows near the entrance, silent and staring. Jeziasi shudders softly and her nails bite into her palms drawing blood as she names their targets.   
Viperish Night rises. "Let us go then," he says as he opens a portal. Jeziasi rises and follows him through, followed by the others.

-Greenshade-  
A small village born of magic and trees nestled into the woods. At one with nature, peaceful. Unknowing the horror that will soon descend upon them. Jeziasi stares straight ahead, feeling almost detached. As if this is a nightmare Swims-in-Silence is taunting her with. Her footsteps stop, and she finds she cannot move. Tyranius stops near her. "You must," he tells her. "You know this, wolfy."  
Jeziasi's hand moves to her bow as she withdraws it. "I know. Be bad, and kill them all."  
Zirasha moves closer to them. "If it was me and I was in Summerset...I would be so happy to do what we are going to do here. Just try to think of them as tasty rabbits. You like to eat rabbits, right?" Jeziasi glances at Zirasha, and then her gaze turns to Viperish Night.  
The familiar necromantic energy flows from Viperish Night into the ground and the long-buried dead start to rise. Bosmer bears and wolfs and even dead decayed plants answer his call. Jeziasi's eyes move from her son to the trees and she suddenly frowns. Nearly invisible, a Bosmer watches them. Jeziasi raises her bow but Zirasha is faster, following Jeziasi's gaze Zirasha leaps into mist and reforms in the tree, grabbing the Bosmer's throat with her hand. The Bosmer just stares up at her with a grin and crushes his hand. Shards of glimmering crystal hit the ground as Zirasha snaps the Bosmer's neck. Jeziasi starts back, remembering back at Craglorn, Razum-dar had done the very same thing, right before... Jeziasi hisses. "Trap," she says as portals start to snap open. First, a few, then dozens and Thalmor, Dominion Soldiers, and Mage and Fighter's guild members stream out to surround the group.  
"Damn," Tyranius remarks. "Might be impressed. We'll keep them busy, pup. Call more of the dead." he tells Viperish Night. Tyranius wades into a group of Fighters from the guild, his scythe clashing against sword and ax alike. Zirasha leaps from the trees onto a mage and savages her, before moving onto the next, and the dead surge in every direction, attacking everything in their path.   
Jeziasi puts her bow back and takes out her daggers, staying close to her son. The Thalmor know he is the main threat, and even now a group of them come for him, slamming the undead aside and into pieces in pursuit of the main threat. They want to kill him, and Jeziasi's eyes narrow, it no longer seems as hard to fight her former allies, now that they are a threat to her son and so she sweeps into their mist, blades flashing and blood flying.   
Arrows, screams, bolts of destruction magic, the clatter of bones, the sound of steel upon steel. It is utterly chaotic and more dead are surging from the forest every moment. Jeziasi finishes off the last of her prey and moves in front of Viperish Night. It is then she sees a shadow on the ground as someone leaps from the tree at Viperish Night's back. Viperish Night's attention is utterly focused on raising enough dead to save them and has not even seen the danger. Jeziasi leaps from the ground and slams into the foe and they crash to the ground rolling away from Viperish Night. Jeziasi leaps to her feet at the same time as this new prey and launches a furious assault that's met with equal fury, equal skill. Her blades snap on her foe's sword, sending it spinning from his grasp. He snaps back instantly from the loss, his fist slamming into the side of Jeziasi's head and she crashes down, the helm falling to the ground with a crash. Jeziasi snarls and leaps back up, head spinning as she locks eyes with her foe, and Jeziasi freezes. In the dark and chaos, in wanting to protect Viperish Night, she had not known who she was fighting. All she can do now is stare into the dusky green cat eyes that are all too familiar. "Raz...Razum-dar," Jeziasi breaths.  
Razum-dar's eyes widen in shock and then narrow as he takes it all in in a moment. Jeziasi in armor and armed. The collar still around her neck. The blood splattered on her from the fight with the Thalmor, the Thalmor she killed. "This one thought you lost," Razum-dar says. "Jeziasi, what are you doing?"  
Jeziasi stares at him utterly lost. "Following my son," Jeziasi says.  
Razum-dar's eyes fill furious anger. "How could you do that? How could you be aiding him in these massacres?" A growl reverberates low in his throat.   
"How could I do anything else?" Jeziasi says. "I cannot kill him, I cannot let someone else kill him, and I will not leave him. What other path is there for me?"  
"Damn it, Jeziasi!" Razum-dar snarls. "He is just an abomination that Swims-in-Silence made!"  
Jeziasi snarls and screams at Razum-dar. "NEVER say that. He is more than that!" she stares at him, knowing he will never understand, never see what she sees.   
"Jeziasi, see reason!" Razum-dar says, moving closer to her. "This is madness! This is not what the Jeziasi I know would do!"  
"But I do see reason, Razum-dar," Jeziasi says. "I destroy the threats to Nirn, but I can never save those I care for. Never. I even kill them if I must. I just cannot do it anymore. Viperish Night is my son, no matter how it happened. If I cannot save him I will drown with him."  
"Do you mean that?" Razum-dar asks her. "Is he worth everything? Is he worth destroying yourself over, dying over? You must know how this will end!"  
"Yes," she says in a whisper. "Monsters made him into what he is, and this world did too. Viperish Night never even had a chance." Jeziasi lowers her arms, her daggers dangling at her sides. "I love him, Razum-dar. He is my son, and worth more then Nirn to me. It matters not what he has done, it matters not that I cannot save him no matter how hard I try, it does not even matter who his father is." her eyes glimmer with the depths of sorrow she feels down to her very soul.  
Razum-dar stares at her, confusion in his eyes. "I thought Swims-in-Silence was his father," is all he says, he cannot even find the words to say anything else.  
"...Yes, he is," Jeziasi says her eyes looking into Razum-dar's. So he does not know yet. She wondered if perhaps they would have found out somehow. Or perhaps even Swims-in-Silence would make it known. He would want everyone to know, eventually. Just to hurt her further.   
Razum-dar shakes his head. "Jeziasi, stop this. You must stop this."  
"It's too late, Razum-dar," Jeziasi says. "I know that, you know that," she searches his eyes, searches her soul, before speaking again. "Swims-in-Silence...I think he needed me specifically. Going with him..." Jeziasi trails off her eyes showing Razum-dar such loss. "That can never be forgiven, Razum-dar. Never. There is no forgiveness, there is no redemption for me. And I do not want or deserve it. I just want to be with my son, until the end."  
The look in her eyes shakes Razum-dar more than he would have thought. He had tried to harden his heart towards his old friend, for she had betrayed the Dominion. But the pain in her eyes. He holds out his paw to her. "One last chance, old friend," Razum-dar says. "Surrender now, stop this. Or this one will have no choice. You know this."  
Jeziasi pauses for a long moment and then sheaths her daggers. She moves toward Razum-dar and then suddenly springs, her fist slamming into his muzzle with ferocious strength sending him crashing unconscious to the ground. Jeziasi stares down at Razum-dar, she cannot bring herself to finish him. "Raz..." she says softly. "I am more sorry than you will ever know." Jeziasi's head suddenly snaps up at the sound of a bow being drawn by a Bosmer in a nearby tree. She snarls at her. "You can help him or kill me, not both." Jeziasi snarls, as the undead start to approach. Jeziasi turns and heads back to Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night is surrounded by the undead and constant streams of necromantic energy stream from him shooting off in every direction. His head is thrown back as he expands his and the band's power even further, drawing in even more of the undead. But it is not enough. If he had more armies waiting in Greenshade...but he had not yet extended his reach this far yet. He had hesitated for her. To spare her the pain. That weakness was going to cost them everything, now, for all the dead he has called it is not enough to save him for even more Dominion troops are pouring through the open portals.  
Tyranius's scythe decapitates an Orc from the Fighters Guild and he slams another to the side as he mows his way through his foes to reach Zirasha, who's just taken down several mages, though not without minor injuries. Even with her speed, there are far too many enemies surrounding them. "Girl, go through the portals. Kill the mages that are keeping the blasted things open." Tyranius orders her.   
Zirasha glances at him, her eyes filled with a furious blood-lust and she nods and mists, streaming through the nearest portal. A few moments later Zirasha streams back through it, a second before it snaps shut. She moves to the next and Tyranius launches a furious assault to keep the Dominion's eyes off of her.   
Jeziasi's daggers slice into any who move too close to Viperish Night. Often a look of disbelief crosses her opponent's face before she cuts them down. Without her helm, they recognize her, know her. A shard of pain pierces Jeziasi's heart and each one that falls before her seems to drag her further into the depths. It's harder than she thought to see them fall...but also easier in a sense. They threaten her son, and it gives her the strength to keep doing what is so very wrong. As another falls, Jeziasi nearly stumbles but regains her footing and glances around. The light from the portals has vanished as the last of them snap shut but enough of the Dominion got through that they outnumber the dead as more of Viperish Night's undead fall under the relentless assault. A bolt of fear and sorrow pass through her as she realizes this may be where it ends. All she wants to do is look back at her son, but more of the Dominion are charging and she will not let them kill him. They will have to kill her first.  
Viperish Night trembles, the world blurring before his eyes. He is so very powerful, and with the Band of T'zlich, he is even more so. But the sheer number of Dominion troops staggers him. He has used up so much energy keeping the undead flowing into the battle.   
Suddenly a shadow breaks from the woods and runs across the battlefield at a nearly impossible speed, swiftly evading all the Dominion forces. Jeziasi spins as the shadow passes by the undead guarding Viperish Night, the undead making no move to attack him. Ebony scales, Swims-in-Silence. So fast, and what is he doing? Never once had he or Mannimarco interfered, just watched. Jeziasi thinks though another Dominion soldier moves in front of her, forcing her to return her attention to the battlefield.  
The world spins around Viperish Night as he, at last, reaches his limit and crashes to his knees, breathing hard claws clenching the dirt. Swims-in-Silence steps behind Viperish Night. "You now know what any kind of weakness can cost you," Swims-in-Silence hisses. "You thought to spare her this pain, and so you neglected this part of Tamriel." Swims-in-Silence kneels and leans in close. "Is this how you want it all to end?" Swims-in-Silence asks.  
Viperish Night clenches his eyes shut, shaking. Perhaps it should end. He is a monster, he never should have been hatched. His head falls, but a cry has it snapping back up, his eyes opening. A group of Thalmor has cornered Jeziasi and she's fighting them with fierce near impossible strength but she is faltering from the drawn-out battle. If he falls, she will die. Swims-in-Silence and Mannimarco will escape, the world will continue its cry for blood. It will only end for him, his Egg-mother, and Tyranius and Zirasha. Viperish Night's eyes fill with icy fury. "No," Viperish Night hisses. "I refuse this! I refuse death. This world does not deserve such mercy!"   
Swims-in-Silence places his clawed hand on Viperish Night's back and Daedric energy courses from his claws into Viperish Night. "Then show them no mercy, my son," Swims-in-Silence says.  
Viperish Night throws his head back as the energy courses through him. The howl that erupts from him is a mix of agony and something far darker. The battleground stills at the unearthly cry and Jeziasi spins toward her son, her eyes widen in shock and horror. Blue energy swirls around Viperish Night crackling and pulsing with unnatural energy. Viperish Night staggers up and in a burst of power his form seems to explode and in its wake, something far more terrifying is born as scales and skin seem to melt away leaving only bones wreathed in icy blue light. Easily twice the size of a normal Argonian, eyes that glow white-blue, shimmering with an unholy light.  
"Viperish Night," Jeziasi breaths, staring up at what her son has become.   
The transformation seems to incite the undead and they turn with renewed fury on the Dominion troops, fighting with a strength far beyond what they had possessed before. The Dominion starts to fall under the relentless renewed assault. Viperish Night roars again and he surges forward, the dead surrounding him parting for their master. Viperish Night bursts into the midst of the enemy, icy energy pulses from him shredding armor and flesh from the Dominion. Viperish Night's claws tear his foes into pieces and his blows hit with force enough to shatter bones. The only thing Jeziasi, Zirasha, and Tyranius can do is step back and watch Viperish Night annihilate everyone and everything in front of him. Soon the Dominion forces are decimated and those few that remain retreat into the forest.   
Viperish Night finally pauses and starts to shudder, the unnatural form melts from him, returning him to what he was before. Jeziasi moves to his side to catch him before he falls and Swims-in-Silence looks at her with a triumphant look in his eyes before he turns and opens a portal, allowing all of them to retreat from the battlefield before what remains of the Dominion can regroup.

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Upon their return, Viperish Night pushes away from Jeziasi and staggers to his throne, collapsing mere feet from it as his body shakes from the aftermath of the violent transformation. Jeziasi rushes to his side and kneels beside him as Viperish Night struggles in a sitting position, breathing raggedly. "Viperish Night, are you alright?" Jeziasi asks him and Viperish Night just lowers his head, struggling to speak. Clawed footsteps approach them and Jeziasi's head snaps up and her eyes narrow at Swims-in-Silence. "What did you do to him?" she snarls.  
"I showed him what his Daedric side could do. It allowed all of you to escape the trap the Dominion sprung." his eyes narrow as he hisses at her. "You caused him to be weak, my mate. If he had not hesitated to strike at the Dominion because of you, this would have never happened."  
"I never asked him to do that!" Jeziasi snaps and starts to rise, a growl building within her.   
"Down," Viperish Night hisses softly, the tremors at last ceasing. "He is right. I should have had more of my army in place in the Dominion. And...we may have fallen had he not done this."  
Jeziasi freezes, her son's words chilling her. She wants to say so much but dares not with Swims-in-Silence watching them. So all she can do is obey Viperish Night, and she settles back down next to her son.   
Swims-in-Silence regards Jeziasi. "You know what your weakness was, Viperish Night. Now for hers," he says in a dangerous tone. "You did not kill the cat, Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi's blood freezes. She knew Swims-in-Silence had been watching the battle, knew he might have seen her violent confrontation with Razum-dar and how she rendered him unconscious instead of killing him. "I should have," Jeziasi says as she lowers her head. "I know to kill them all. It is what Viperish Night wants. I will next time."  
"Weakness," Swims-in-Silence says again. "She is weak in regards to her former allies."  
Swims-in-Silence calling her weak, the shock of meeting Razum-dar in such a fashion, watching Viperish Night in such agony as he transformed into that thing, it's enough to snap what little control Jeziasi has left and she springs up. "I killed every other Dominion soldier who crossed my path today. I am covered in their blood. I sprung at the damn cat as soon as he came for my son," Jeziasi snarls.   
Swims-in-Silence smiles. "So this is what got you to speak to me more, my mate. Enough..." his eyes move to Viperish Night, "Enough to disobey our son even."  
Jeziasi stumbles back a step, realizing her grave error. Viperish Night slowly rises and turns to Jeziasi. "I said heel, pet," Viperish Night hisses softly, dangerously. Jeziasi swallows, trying to reign in her anger. Viperish Night suddenly lunges at her, his claws wrap around her neck as he slams her against the throne. "Why?" Viperish Night hisses. "We kill them all. No survivors, no mercy. Why did you show him that?"  
Jeziasi stares into Viperish Night's eyes as a jolt of fear passes through her, she cannot tell if her son is just acting or if what Swims-in-Silence did to him today pushed him further into the depths. "W...weakness," she manages to say. "I will not again."  
Viperish Night moves and drops Jeziasi in front of the throne before sitting and leaning back. "You will kill him next time, Egg-mother."  
Jeziasi lowers her head. "Yes, Viperish Night," she whispers.  
Swims-in-Silence's eyes move between them. "You trust her? She has always been close to that cat."  
Viperish Night's angry gaze snaps back to Swims-in-Silence. "Yes, Egg-father. Do not question me." Viperish Night says, his eyes moving to Jeziasi.  
Jeziasi can feel both their eyes upon her, her heart beats faster. "He has forsaken me," Jeziasi says. "He will kill us both of us next time he sees us. I will not let him. I forsake him, as well."  
Swims-in-Silence stalks towards Jeziasi and kneels by her. Viperish Night watches him with narrowed eyes but this time says nothing as Swims-in-Silence closes in on her. "No biting, pet," is the only thing Viperish Night says.   
Jeziasi can only sit there as Swims-in-Silence's claws move to her face, tracing the blood splattered across it. "You may have had a moment of weakness my mate, but you did show such brutality against the rest of your former allies," Swims-in-Silence says. "If only you had shown that with the cat. I would have enjoyed seeing you tear him apart." Jeziasi's fingernails scour the stone as she tries to remain still and quiet under this invasion. "If she was my pet I would punish her for this weakness. But she is yours, my son." Swims-in-Silence says as he turns his baleful gaze back upon Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night gazes into those eyes, the eyes that catch every single trace of weakness. "Tyranius." Viperish Night says. Tyranius and Zirasha had been hovering near the entrance knowing better than to intrude unless Viperish Night called for them.   
Tyranius walks to the throne and stops. "Yeah, pup?"  
Viperish Night's claws trail across the disregarded chain and he tosses it to Tyranius who catches it. "Take my pet and punish her for this." Viperish Night instructs. "I need to rest. It will be more difficult from here on out."  
Jeziasi wants to turn to her son. To look into his eyes and make sure she still sees that faint glimmer of light amongst the dark. But she dares not. Not with Swims-in-Silence studying them so close.  
Tyranius kneels by Jeziasi and snaps the chain around the collar. "Come, wolfy," Tyranius says as he rises, giving Jeziasi little choice but to follow as he heads her from the throne room deeper into the tomb.   
Viperish Night clutches his claws together as Tyranius leads Jeziasi away. Viperish Night tries not to shake, trys not to show anything. His mind slides to the power he felt when he was transformed into that monstrous bone colossus. He felt...invincible when it engulfed him. He had become like his army, but not. No...something more like his Egg-father. Something more...Daedric. It shut out some of his emotions, cast his thoughts into the furthest depths of the river. He could feel that power still, a thread of icy surge running through his blood. He wanted to grasp it again, be that again. The troubling thoughts he sometimes had vanished, but so did something else. The part of him that screamed at letting Swims-in-Silence touch his Egg-mother, that hissed in anger that he let her be punished. Would Tyranius hurt her? Or would he know that Viperish Night just wanted Swims-in-Silence to think he was willing to hurt her for disobeying him?  
Zirasha has vanished, but Swims-in-Silence is still in the throne room. His eyes never leaving Viperish Night. "You are silent Viperish Night. Will you fail to speak to me like my mate?"  
Viperish Night finally turns his eyes back to him. "Just...thinking," Viperish Night says and he narrows his eyes. "...If I wish what happened today to happen again, will I need..." Viperish Night trails off and hisses angrily.  
"It is part of who you are. It always has been. You will be able to access it on your own now. It just takes a great deal of energy. Use it wisely." Swims-in-Silence tells him.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Very well..." he says, but then his tone turns angry. "This changes nothing between us, Egg-father. I will still see you dead."  
Swims-in-Silence laughs. "Threaten me all you like. I can see the truth in your eyes. You will want more than just this, someday. You like this taste of Daedric power. The sheer power and rush of it. Your strength will only grow." At Viperish Night's angry hiss he laughs again. "You will come to accept all of this in the end and walk with me." Swims-in-Silence turns and a portal opens swallowing him up.

Zirasha is pacing in the snow when a portal snaps open behind her. Zirasha spins around as Swims-in-Silence steps forth and stands before her. Zirasha hisses like a feral cat, her vampiric eyes flaring.  
"Is that any way to treat the one who made you so strong, so fearless?" Swims-in-Silence says. "If anything, you should be on your knees thanking me."  
Zirasha stares at him with her crimson eyes. He, who offered her the promise of freedom...before throwing her to his true self who tore her apart before putting her back together with his Daedric blood. Never before had she felt pain like that, it had eclipsed pain.  
"Too much?" Swims-in-Silence says with an evil smile. "Did I drive you into silence as often seems to be the case with my mate?" At Zirasha's continued silence he laughs. "Do you regret it then?" he asks.  
There is a dangerous tone in his voice, this monster could end her. In a way, she was his. That part...she did not care for. "Never," Zirasha finally says. "I just don't like you messing with Jeziasi," she folds her arms across her chest.  
Swims-in-Silence looks surprised and he tilts his head slightly. "I would not think you capable of this. Your soul is utter darkness, Zirasha. I have seen into its depths."  
Zirasha hisses again. She will never regret being turned into a vampire, but how it had been done will leave a deep gash upon her, always. A small price to pay for it, though. "I have my reasons," Zirasha states. Swims-in-Silence starts to circle Zirasha and she follows him, her eyes never leaving him. "What do you want?" Zirasha asks. "My submission? You seem to want that from everyone."  
Swims-in-Silence laughs again. "You submitted to me in Coldharbour, already Zirasha, when I had you down upon the ground when I was tearing your flesh, draining your blood. Your screams told me as much."  
Zirasha hisses again, the anger flaring in her eyes. She never wanted to submit to anyone. The Altmer tried to make her submit to their way of life. Her parents to their idea of how she should be, the Imperials who thought she was a helpless girl, the fact that she had to submit once more to gain the freedom to never again be forced to submit still made her see red. She tenses and Swims-in-Silence stops.  
"Calm, vampire," Swims-in-Silence says. "Your anger threatens to send your blood-lust into a frenzy." he steps closer to her. "You could transform too."  
"What?" Zirasha says, startled out of her anger. Viperish Night's screams, the way he transformed into such a monster. It was glorious in a way.  
"Yes, Zirasha," Swims-in-Silence continues. "You could transform into a hideously imperfect monster. The world would see your truth, I know you despise being Altmer, despite looking so perfectly... how do you put it? Pretty?"   
Zirasha hisses, that word is like a curse. She cannot stand it. She made herself as imperfect as she could. Keeping her hair short and ragged, scaring herself, and endlessly feasting so she stays at the most corrupted form of vampire as she can. Still...she can still see the pretty Altmer looking at her in the mirror. Her eyes shimmer with curiosity and she steps closer to Swims-in-Silence. "How?" she asks. She cannot help it, she must know this.  
"Feed to bursting, embrace my gift fully and you will shed your pretty form for a while to become something truly monstrous," Swims-in-Silence says with a twisted smile. "Something powerful, though perhaps not as powerful as my son. Still, I do not think you will be displeased with the result." Swims-in-Silence turns and the portal opens again, he passes through and is gone.  
Zirasha stares and then resumes pacing. Damn him, she hates him. Not as much as Viperish Night and Jeziasi, but still. He hurt her friends, still hurts them. The thought suddenly causes Zirasha to stop and she snarls. No not friends! Allies. Monsters with a common goal. Never friends. Monsters such as they do not have friends. 

Tyranius takes Jeziasi down to one of the lower rooms that had in the past been used as a dungeon, by whoever had occupied this tomb in previous times. Tyranius unclips the chain and leans against the wall arms crossed. "So we stay down here a while, wolfy," he says. Jeziasi's eyes follow his before moving to the doorway. "Prince won't be any the wiser. Just settle in for a while." Settle? Jeziasi growls softly. How can she settle, how can she leave her son alone with Swims-In-Silence after what had happened today? She stares out the doorway. "Wolfy," Tyranius cautions.  
"I know," Jeziasi snaps. "I cannot go to him right now." She sighs and starts to pace the room.  
Mannimarco suddenly appears and Jeziasi spins around to growl at him. He ignores her to move to the wall, running his hands against the various torture equipment and whips that hang on the wall gathering dust. "Neither of you can hold your damn tempers," Mannimarco suddenly snaps and turns to Jeziasi and Tyranius, his icy glare showing his anger.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Calm down. I know pup did not mean it. Swims-in-Silence won't know the difference."  
Mannimarco's gaze grows even icier. "You are excused from being idiotic, but not her," he says.  
Jeziasi freezes and Tyranius glances at her. "Hiding a bone, wolfy?" he asks her.  
Jeziasi stalks to Mannimarco. "Damn you. You need to destroy that damn thing, steal it, something." she snaps at him.   
"Steal his favorite toy?" Mannimarco says with a laugh. "He knows I may yet scheme against him, I will not show my hand to him yet. Deal with it."  
Tyranius stalks to Jeziasi. "Speak, wolfy," he orders her.  
Jeziasi turns her angry gaze on him. "He has a dream amulet. He tortured Viperish Night with it, now he does the same to me. If I tell my son, you know what may happen."  
"Damn it," Tyranius says. "Glad I threw in with Viperish Night over him. Dirty tricks."  
Mannimarco barks out a laugh. "I remember some of the things you did during the Planemeld, Tyranius."  
Tyranius shrugs. "Everything I did was in the open. I never resorted to such little tricks. I was upfront to the horrors I reaped upon the city." he explains.  
"That may be true, but you do see why this is stupid now?" Mannimarco says.  
Jeziasi clenches her fists. "He's right, Swims-in-Silence will know. He'll make sure to check." She turns from both of them.  
Mannimarco turns back to the wall and takes a whip off of it and inspects it. "Punishing his pet as he was once punished, it will amuse Swims-In-Silence," Mannimarco says as he turns back to Tyranius. "If you don't want to, I have little trouble doing it in your stead, Tyranius."   
Jeziasi spins around and stalks to Mannimarco, snapping the whip from his hands, tempted to do so much more than that if she can. "Never, Mannimarco," Jeziasi snarls and stalks right up to him, standing near enough to snap her jaws around his neck if she wants, if she can. Even if she's not the wolf, she's sure she could manage to tear his throat out. The two stare at each other with murderous glares before Jeziasi snarls, "Get out of here, now."  
"I cannot stay and watch?" Mannimarco says. "You watched me be tortured, Jeziasi."  
Tyranius starts toward Mannimarco. "Go, Mannimarco" Tyranius orders.  
"I am tempted to say you can't make me, but that sounds so childish," Mannimarco says with a laugh as he vanishes, leaving the two alone.  
"Wolfy..." Tyranius says.   
Jeziasi slowly turns to him and hands him the whip. "Make sure Viperish Night cannot see it. Swims-in-Silence...will know regardless." Jeziasi says as she removes her armor, throwing it on the ground. She turns and places her palms against the wall. "Do what you must. I should have killed Raz. I should not have lost my temper."   
"Need to stop blaming yourself for all this, wolfy," Tyranius says as he unrolls the whip. "You're an ally, so I'll try not to enjoy this too much."

Later that day Zirasha walks into Jeziasi's room and halts as she sees Jeziasi resting on her side, staring at one of the lanterns trying to will sleep away. Zirasha's nose flares. "Damn it, why did that brute do that? Viperish Night was not serious."   
Jeziasi's eyes move to Zirasha. "Tyranius was not going to. But you know why we had to. Viperish Night will not see this. I'll make sure of it."  
Zirasha moves to Jeziasi's side. "Then...you should take off your shirt," Zirasha says. When Jeziasi raises her head Zirasha hisses at her. "Hey! I know how to patch things up. I'm not going to lick the blood up." Jeziasi sits up and takes off her shirt before she lies back down on her stomach as Zirasha leaves the room only to return moments later with water, cloth, and a jar of healing salve in her hands. She settles in by Jeziasi. "...I might taste a little," Zirasha admits, and as Jeziasi starts to get up Zirasha hisses at her. "Still," she says as she cleans and dresses the wounds. "These...are not too bad. The brute did hold back a little," Zirasha says as she finishes up. "I'm done now," she adds as she licks her fingers and at Jeziasi's look Zirasha shrugs. "You knew I was going to do it. Curious what werewolf blood tasted like."  
Jeziasi sits up and puts her shirt back on and regards Zirasha. "Well?" Jeziasi finally asks.   
Zirasha smiles. "Tastes like wild meat with a dash of spices," Zirasha says and then her smile turns to a frown, and her eyes probe Jeziasi's. At Jeziasi's confused look Zirasha looks down. "We are not friends. Monsters do not have friends, I do not want them!" Zirasha bursts out. "So...what are we?"  
Jeziasi is quiet for a moment thinking of it. Thinking of her time among her son and his unusual and bloodthirsty allies. They hunt together, even care for each other in what way they can. "Pack," Jeziasi finally says. "We are pack."  
"Just that simple?" Zirasha says. "I...I like it. Now we should go to sleep. Even...if we don't want to. If you don't rest..." she trails off.  
"Rest does help the werewolf healing," Jeziasi says. "It is slower than it once was until the wolf fully returns...I do need rest to heal." Jeziasi lies back down. "You...will stay as always, right?" Jeziasi softly says.  
Zirasha settles in by Jeziasi. "We are pack. Even if I can't come with you into your dreams, I can be here when you wake." Zirasha pauses and hisses. "I am not being nice! I am looking out for you for Viperish Night. And that's not being nice either!"  
"You are not nice, I got it," Jeziasi says with a small smile as her eyes close.   
"Good," Zirasha hisses as she too closes her eyes. "I heard you smile to. I might bite you later."   
All Jeziasi does is laugh slightly as the two fall asleep.

_The air is warm and muggy as the dream forms around Jeziasi. Her fists clench, no, he did not bring her here. He... Jeziasi lets out a strangled cry before clenching her jaws shut. She will not give him the satisfaction. She will refuse this, refuse even to open her eyes. She may be on her knees but she will not submit again. She tenses as she hears Swims-in-Silence's moving toward her. "First you will not speak to me, now you will not even look at me?" Swims-in-Silence says softly. He moves closer to her. "Speak or I will change the dream to night, Jeziasi," he threatens.  
"I obey Viperish Night, not you," Jeziasi snarls.   
"You failed to, tonight," Swims-in-Silence says. "I was not sure you would be properly punished, so I brought you here." Jeziasi softly growls at him. "Were you punished?" Swims-in-Silence asks. "I wonder..." he circles Jeziasi and then steps behind her and kneels. "I see the pain on your face. You hide it nearly completely but I know you so very well," Swims-in-Silence touches her back and Jeziasi cannot help but hiss slightly as he runs his claws down her back. "So you were disciplined. And in such...a way. Would you let me see, I wonder?" Jeziasi's soft snarl grows and Swims-in-Silence laughs. "Too far? But we went much farther than that, once." Swims-in-Silence rises and moves in front of her. "I can wait, Jeziasi." He is silent for a few moments before speaking again, sounding thoughtful. "You will still stay with him, won't you? No matter what he does, no matter how he hurts you." Swims-in-Silence kneels in front of her. "He's more mine than yours now. You must know this." Swims-in-Silence laughs. "The pain on your face. You know I speak truth. You will never save him, so all you can do is follow him around like a pet dog. It...deeply amuses."   
Jeziasi snarls again and her eyes bolt open, glaring at Swims-in-Silence angrily. He stands up and laughs, moving out of her line of view. She has done exactly what he wanted her to do. Her heart catches in her chest as Shadowfen is spread out before her. This day...she remembers and it plays out just as it did then. Jeziasi in wolf form and Swims-in-Silence hunting. Afterward, they started to spar and how easily he had thrown her to the ground, even in her wolf form. Her surprise than at his strength, far beyond what it should have ever been. She should have never dismissed it as she had then. So many things had been wrong with Swims-in-Silence, she just ignored them all. Her furious eyes return to Swims-in-Silence's as the dream fades. _


	56. Act 4 -Interlude- A Khajiit's Memories

"Broken in more than one place," Taalem says as he tends to Razum-dar before leaving him to check on the rest of his patients. Razum-dar looks around the infirmary and then sighs as he gingerly touches his nose. How could he be so stupid as to let his guard down? He knew Jeziasi had not responded to him for so long, there was no reason to suspect it to be any different. A troubled look crosses his eyes and Razum-dar shakes his head. How could his old friend fall so far? How could she think helping Viperish Night was the path she must take? Just for love? Razum-dar growls. "Jeziasi..." Razum-dar breaths. It was strange how she spoke of some things as well. He thought she meant someone else was Viperish Night's egg-father, but then she said it was him. It was very strange, and of course, the battle only got stranger when he was out cold! Swims-in-Silence suddenly entering the fray and somehow, if the reports were correct, turning Viperish Night into a bone colossus for a time. Time enough to turn the battle in his favor. Razum-dar gets up, still slightly dizzy. He growls again and shakes his head. The Dominion had saved the village, but the casualties in their forces were near total. Only a handful had survived, many grievously wounded, from Viperish Night's transformation, and the power it gave the undead all around him.

Queen Ayrenn enters the infirmary and Razum-dar's eyes fall on his Queen. She had wanted to join the battle, but Razum-dar had talked her out of it. If he had not, she could be lying in one of these beds, or worse. Queen Ayrenn moves to each of the injured in turn, offering kind words and comfort before she moves to Razum-dar. "You have seen better days, my friend," she says, the sorrow of the loss of her people deep within her eyes, though her voice is steady and strong, as a Queen's must be. "Raz, what happened?"  
Razum-dar sits back down, paws on the bed. "Many bad things, my Queen. Swims-In-Silence has power we did not expect. He turned Viperish Night into a monster, and it was then the battle was lost to us." Razum-dar trails off.  
Queen Ayrenn frowns. "Even with this, our forces should have been enough. There is something we are missing." Queen Ayrenn then regards Razum-dar. "What troubles you, Razum-dar?" she asks. "There is something else. I can see it in your eyes."  
Razum-dar gazes up at Queen Ayrenn, his eyes flashing with pain before they harden. "Jeziasi has joined them," Razum-dar says with a growl.  
Queen Ayrenn stills, only her eyes show the shock this has given her. "Raz, are you certain?" Queen Ayrenn asks. "What she has done before and this are two very different things," Razum-dar repeats Jeziasi's words for Queen Ayrenn and her face hardens. "The Vestige has gone mad," Queen Ayrenn says. "To participate in this horror."  
Razum-dar rises. "This one will add her name to the intelligence reports sent to the other allegiances," Razum-dar says.   
Queen Ayrenn place a hand on Razum-dar's shoulder. "I know you cared deeply for her. It saddens me to know this is where her path has lead."  
"It will not stop this one from protecting the Dominion," Razum-dar declares. "This one was foolish enough to give her one last chance. Next time, Razum-dar will do what he must." Razum-dar walks past his Queen and out the door and the Queen's eyes follow him as he leaves. He is in pain, though he will never admit it, this she can tell. 

Razum-dar finds himself outside of Elden Root near the water after filling out the reports. He stares off into the distance and with a soft sigh, he thinks he must be getting old to have the past consume his thoughts so much. Razum-dar closes his eyes as the wind ruffles his fur as his memories take him back to his first meeting with Jeziasi.

_-Eagle's Stand - Khenarthi's roost-  
A massive hurricane had struck the coast and the small island of Khenarthi's roost, causing damage and wrecking ships to pieces upon its shores. Survivors and bodies had been pulled from the wreckage ever since the skies cleared. Razum-dar had been helping when a glimmer in the sky catches his eyes. It is as if the heavens had opened up and a star was falling from them. As it streaks toward the water Razum-dar's eyes catch the details, it is not a star but a person. They hit the water with a splash and Razum-dar runs into the surf and pulls them from the water, dragging them onto the sand. Razum-dar's dusky green eyes blink as he beholds her, she's alive abide unconscious. "This one did not expect pretty ones to drop from the skies," he says. She's a Bosmer with magenta hair, darkened by the seawater, delicate antlers, and a strong physique. Her clothes are simple, almost something a prisoner might wear and have seen better days, and her wrists are scarred. Razum-dar's eyes show great puzzlement. "This one thinks to keep you out of the others' site for now," Razum-dar says. He bends down and gathers her gently in his arms and takes her to a ruined tower nearby until he can figure this puzzle out, and know if she's a threat, or if she just as a very interesting story._

_The moment Jeziasi awakes and descends the tower, Razum-dar knew this was not just a pretty one. Her crystal gaze holds such fierceness and something else. Those eyes of hers had seen horrors. Razum-dar knew Jeziasi was no ordinary Bosmer. She was special. She took Razum-dar's guidance to pretend she had been cast adrift by the hurricane and eventually left the island. Jeziasi and Razum-dar had met more than once after that, however, and finally started to work together for the Dominion against the Veiled Heritance who sought to use the confusion of the plane-meld to usurp Queen Ayrenn. The Veiled Heritance had involved the aid of Mehrunes Dagon, and later Molag Bal. In the end, they stopped the Veiled Heritance together, but bigger things awaited Jeziasi. Razum-dar had been ordered to stay by his Queen's side on Nirn during the assault on Coldharbour in the event the war was lost. Razum-dar had watched Jeziasi leave with the others, knowing she was the Vestige, the one chosen by fate to face Molag Bal's evil and save Nirn, and she set upon the task with all her being.  
When Jeziasi returned triumphant with those who had survived from Coldharbour, she had changed more drastically than Razum-dar could have ever imagined. The cold of that place had clung to her, the horrors she had seen and experienced visible in her eyes. She no longer believed in the ways of Y'ffre as she once did, and she no longer wished to stay with the Dominion. Razum-dar had always respected Jeziasi, never tried to do more the tease with her. But he found himself tempted, so perhaps she would remain. But while Razum-dar was many many things, he was not cruel. He saw her need to escape the memories, and Valenwood and the Dominion held so very many for her. So the final night she was in Elden Root he came to talk to her, one last time.  
Jeziasi had surprised him that night. One moment he had been speaking to her, the next she had suddenly launched into a fierce attack against him and they tumbled around for a few moments before breaking off. Razum-dar had remembered the look on his old friend's face. Shock that she had attacked her friend and her scramble to find the words why. Razum-dar could not to anything but laugh, reassure her. War unsettles. Of course, her emotions were in turmoil. He could not blame her for that. And then Jeziasi had moved closer to him, and started to run her hands through his soft warm fur. Razum-dar had quickly grown flustered, and he was tempted to just let her...but Jeziasi was his friend and he tried to dissuade her but she would have none of it, and the look in her eyes... she wanted warmth, fire, for just a little bit and so he gave in, knowing it would be even harder to let her go.   
Razum-dar had awoken the next morning to find her long gone. She had slipped out so quietly he had not even woken. And that was the last he saw of Jeziasi until Summerset. He had of course kept track of her when he could...and the path she took disturbed him. But Jeziasi was still a hero at heart, despite becoming one of Hircine's wolfs, despite a short foray into the Dark Brotherhood. She went on to battle with the Court of Bedlam, to defy three Daedric Princes. Her bravery seemed to know no bounds. _

But of course, Razum-dar knew now that bravery had let do such overconfidence, enough for her to make a mistake that for some reason she deemed unforgivable, unredeemable. Razum-dar growls softly. She did not know Swims-In-Silence's plans, Razum-dar had seen the confused look in her eyes, along with a glimmer of hurt. Since that moment, Razum-dar wanted to shred Swims-In-Silence's face off! To hurt someone in such an intimate way was beyond reproach, beyond honor. Razum-dar would see a knife in Swims-In-Silence's back for that alone. Still...there was something Razum-dar was not seeing about all this. He did not like that, Razum-dar had a very bad feeling it had to do with Swims-In-Silence. Razum-dar's paw moves to his sword, his claws clicking against the hilt. Swims-In-Silence was not the only one who must have a sword in them. Razum-dar would never hesitate. The Dominion, Nirn. But...he had hesitated, had he not? Could he kill his old friend? Kill Jeziasi? The woman who was utterly wild, utterly untamable? Who's eyes had gazed into Razum-dar's one night so very long ago with more than friendship for the briefest of moments? He would have to. But killing his old friend whom he foolishly loved... would stain his fur, his heart forever. Razum-dar would do what he must. But it would destroy part of him to kill her, to see her fall, that fiery light fade from her eyes forever.  
Razum-dar, at last, started to understand why Jeziasi was walking the path she was. Love was a fickle mistress at best and at worse it could destroy not only you but everything around you. She loved her son. Blinding by it? Perhaps.... or perhaps she saw a glimmer of something in Viperish Night and dived recklessly in after it. "Jeziasi... it is too late," Razum-dar says to himself. This...can not end well. Razum-dar sighs again and Jeziasi's words from that night long ago echo in his head. She had told Razum-dar that she will never break. But as Razum-dar had looked in her eyes in Greenshade, he saw the awful truth of it. She had broken. All the things she had done, all the horrors she had seen, this had broken her. And she now followed the only thing that made sense to her, her love for her son, even if it leads to Oblivion itself.


	57. Act 4 -Interlude- The Different Shades of Darkness

-Deep under the Brotherhood Sanctuary-  
"Truth in shadows," Speaker Malkeyranis says as he leads Rufico down a winding staircase into the depths of a huge cavern. "It is time for The Void to show you the true fate of our fallen brother."   
"You knew this the whole time?" Rufico says quietly as he follows behind Speaker Malkeyranis, his footsteps as silent as the speakers.  
"Our Night Mother and Dread Father knew what we did not, and kept their silence on it. It is now time for you to break the silence." Speaker Malkeyranis stops at the bottom of the staircase, a pool of inky black water is spread before them. "Enter, and embrace The Void, Brother Rufico, and know what you must know for your quest."  
Rufico's eyes are on the cold dark water. Those eyes that were once so haunted, now so cold. Training with the Brotherhood and the far darker training in the cavern below the Sanctuary that was for him alone had taken its toll. Made him stronger, different. But also colder. How much time had passed since he had gone with Speaker Malkeyranis, Rufico had no way of telling. Above time passed as it should, but down in this dark place so close to The Void time seemed to slow. Rufico moves to the pool and takes his Brotherhood armor off, putting it beside the water as he steps into the cold water that leaches all warmth from him. He moves to the middle and sits, the water coming up to his neck. Slowly he closes his eyes and the darkness grows until it envelops him completely.

_The Black Sacrament had been performed and Speaker Malkeyranis had assigned the kill to Stalks-in-Darkness. "You will go to Bal Foyen and assassinate a Dunmer named Dalnila Rivuralu. It has been requested that an Argonian assassin carries out the target, and you are to show yourself to Dalnila before you kill her."  
Stalks-in-Darkness tilts his head down slightly. "Unusual, but sounds easy enough," Stalks-in-Darkness says, and his eyes tighten slightly.   
Speaker Malkeyranis laughs at this. "You prefer harder kills. Still, you are the only Shadowscale at this sanctuary, so the task falls to you."  
Stalks-in-Darkness rises from the table. "Dalnila will be silenced," he tells the Speaker. "I will send her soul to The Void." _

_Stalks-in-Darkness watches from the shadows as Dalnila walks out of Fort Zeren late in the evening. He follows silently as she heads away from the fort to stop in a field of tall grass where she starts to gather flowers and plants. A quick look ensures there is no one else near and Stalks-in-Darkness moves through the grass nearly on his belly, the grass making no sign he's on the hunt. Dalnila is far too easy, but it intrigues him to show himself before the kill. It may not be AS fun, but it does add a little excitement to the murder. When he's a foot from her he suddenly rises and she starts back, the flowers falling from her hand. Stalks-in-Darkness surges toward her and the Blade of Woe shimmers into existence, and it slices at her throat...only to go through it as she vanishes. Stalks-In-Darkness leaps back, hissing. An illusion?  
Suddenly portals snap open all around him and Stalks-In-Darkness hisses again, withdrawing a jagged blade as his eyes dart around. Daedra start to pour out and they come for him. "This is peculiar," Stalks-In-Darkness says. "But much more interesting." He laughs as he surges at the Daedra his blade slicing in them, showing no mercy. Still more pour out and Stalks-In-Darkness starts to look for a way out. At this rate, even he will be overwhelmed. Stalks-In-Darkness sees an opening and takes it, racing across the grass. A portal snaps open in his path and he veers, only to have a Daedra cross into his path. Stalks-In-Darkness's knife finds its way into his throat, but another Daedra comes in behind him and Stalks-In-Darkness turns as the Daedra's fist slams into his face. Stalks-In-Darkness falls to the ground but is up in a moment, the world spinning in front of him. His throwing knives fly and more Daedra fall and then another portal snaps open and a huge Daedroth emerges and slams into Stalks-In-Darkness, sending him crashing through another portal._

_Stalks-In-Darkness springs up as the portal snaps shut. His eyes dart around. He's in a cavern lit by eerie blue light, and it is icy cold. His eyes narrow as he realizes where he is. "Oblivion..." Stalks-In-Darkness hisses. "You dare attack one of us?" Stalks-In-Darkness snarls.  
A glowing pair of eyes in the shadows has Stalks-In-Darkness looking up and up as the Daedric Prince moves from the shadows to stand above Stalks-In-Darkness. Grey-blue eyes that glow with unimaginable power and unfathomable depths. A demonic like form, talons, claws, horns. Stalks-In-Darkness stays still, but it takes effort for even him not to step back before the Lord of Domination. He hisses softly, his knives are long gone buried in Daedric bodies. "What do you want? I belong to the Void, not you." Stalks-In-Darkness asks.   
Molag Bal regards him. Stalks-In-Darkness's ebony black scales, his emerald green eyes. "A shadow come to life. You will do, Argonian," Molag Bal says. "Submit, and the destruction of your soul will be relatively painless. Fight, and you will know agony beyond your deepest nightmares if such a creature as you has such."  
Stalks-In-Darkness's eyes dart to the darkness. No way out, no path save for death. But he refuses this kind of death. His claws move to his own throat, intending to kill himself before Molag Bal can have him.  
Molag Bal laughs and Stalks-In-Darkness is frozen in place. "Do you think I would let you?" he laughs. "Agony it is." Dark chains erupt from the ground ensnaring Stalks-In-Darkness and he struggles briefly before stilling, his green eyes locked onto Molag Bal.   
"Take me if you can then. But The Void will make you suffer for this, one day." Stalks-In-Darkness hisses.   
Molag Bal laughs. "The Void has no power over me. I am the Lord of Domination." Molag Bal's eyes flare ice white and Daedric energy flows through the chains into Stalks-In-Darkness. Stalks-In-Darkness throws his head back but does not scream, just endures like the everlasting void until he cannot any longer and goes limp in the chains, eyes shutting._

_Stalks-In-Darkness's eyes open. The darkness is complete without a hint of light. Stalks-In-Darkness knows the darkness intimity, he has swum in it since he was hatched under the favored sign. He likes its currents and the dark tasks The Brotherhood bestowed upon him. But this darkness was not the familiar darkness of the void. This was icy darkness, wrongness on the deepest level. Stalks-In-Darkness hisses. "Come for me then, see if you can," Stalks-In-Darkness says boldly, without a hint of fear.  
Molag Bal laughs. "Such bravery, mortal. I cannot help but admire that strength. It will not change your fate...but for your show of it I will reward you." Icy light fills the dark and Molag Bal's towering form is seen briefly before shadows cover his form and when they fade Molag Bal is nearly the same size as Stalks-In-Darkness. "Come mortal, fight your fate since you are so eager to do so."  
"My fate is with The Void, not you," Stalks-In-Darkness says and he surges toward Molag Bal and the battle is on.  
Stalks-In-Darkness's swift speed, vicious and deadly attacks against the sheer brute might of Molag Bal. The fight lasts mere minutes but in this mindscape, it seems much much longer. In the end, though, Molag Bal's claws wrap around Stalks-In-Darkness's neck and lifts him up. "One last chance to submit," Molag Bal says.  
"I only submit to The Void, to the Dread Father Sithis," Stalks-In-Darkness hisses. "He will know what you have done, he and the Night Mother both. The Void will come even for you, Daedric Prince."  
Molag Bal just laughs at the threat and Daedric energy flows into Stalks-In-Darkness and once more Stalks-In-Darkness endures the pain, refuses to give Molag Bal the screams he so desires. The agony seems endless as it rips through Stalks-In-Darkness slowly and painfully destroying his soul. At the very last moment, Stalks-In-Darkness does at last scream as his soul is torn asunder and is utterly annihilated._

_Stalks-In-Darkness opens his eyes, the emerald green replaced by baleful grey-blue. A grin crosses his Argonian face and he flexes his claws, moves his stolen mortal form. A portal snaps open moments later and two Xivkyn emerge dragging a bound and chained Mannimarco, whom they throw at Stalks-In-Darkness's feet before leaving. Mannimarco struggles into a sitting position and he looks up at Stalks-In-Darkness with eyes wreathed in pain. Stalks-In-Darkness kneels down and grips Mannimarco's face with his claws and as Mannimarco looks into those eyes he recognizes them. "What have you done?" Mannimarco says.  
"What I needed to do for my plans," Stalks-In-Darkness hisses. "I will have all the souls of Nirn one way or the other," he tilts his head. "Do you want to help me? I will free you briefly from your punishment for this."  
Mannimarco's blue eyes glare in hatred at the Daedric Prince. "I seem to have little choice." he snarls.   
"I'll take that as a yes," Stalks-In-Darkness says, dropping his claws from Mannimarco.   
"She'll stop you again, you must know this," Mannimarco says.   
A smile that would turn anyone's blood to ice crosses Stalks-In-Darkness's face. "The Vestige stopped me once before, but this time she'll help me," Stalks-In-Darkness says.   
Mannimarco looks at Stalks-In-Darkness in disbelief. "Are you mad?" he says, then flinches at asking that.  
Stalks-In-Darkness just laughs. "I have had eyes on her when I can. She is lost in her own strength now, one of Hircine's wolfs. I'll go to her when she's alone and at a crisis point and she will come with me, willingly." Stalks-In-Darkness smile grows. "She thinks herself unbeatable. She thinks she can take on the Daedric Princes themselves. She'll be shown her weakness in thinking this in the end."  
Mannimarco is silent then a small smile appears on his lips. "I...would enjoy seeing her fall. She left me in your clutches, after all." His eyes grow angry again. "I want you to release me for my help when this is all over," he tries to demand of the Daedric Prince.  
Stalks-In-Darkness's eyes glow and Mannimarco shrinks back. "Never," Stalks-In-Darkness hisses with fury. "But I am willing to ease your torment. Unless you still refuse, then I will continue torturing you every moment of every day until the end of time."  
Mannimarco's eyes turn icy. "What would you have me do?" he asks.  
"Teach her son the ways of necromancy. Make sure he falls into darkness, so he will use the Band of T'zlich in the proper way when it is time." Stalks-In-Darkness instructs him.  
Mannimarco's eyes widen, he has heard of the Band of T'zlich and the story around it. He thought it myth, but... "It is real. Of course, you must have been the one responsible for its creation." Mannimarco starts to say something else but then confusion crosses his eyes. "I did not know Jeziasi had a son," he says. "And I know of the curse upon it...of course. That part must be incorrect."  
Stalks-In-Darkness regards Mannimarco. "Not yet. And the curse is truth." Stalks-In-Darkness laughs at Mannimarco's utterly baffled look and a twisted grin crosses Stalks-In-Darkness's face. "You'll have to help with the creation, as well. Daedric magic in part will have to be used."  
A look of horrified understanding crosses Mannimarco's face as well as a glimmer of intrigue. He focuses his gaze on Stalks-In-Darkness and at last, understands why Molag Bal has assumed a mortal Argonian form. "You intend to..." Mannimarco trails off.  
"A willing union is needed," Stalks-In-Darkness says. "So no, I will not dominate the Vestige that way. But this way..." Stalks-In-Darkness laughs. "To have her willingly submit to me is even better."  
Mannimarco swallows. "You cannot just use...someone else? Someone more easily fooled?" Mannimarco asks.   
"They may not survive. Mortals are not made for what I intend. But Jeziasi is something more." Stalks-In-Darkness says and his eyes glow again. "She refused to submit...so I will deceive her into it this time."  
"With respect, I have my doubts you can," Mannimarco says and Stalks-In-Darkness's gaze turns furious and Mannimarco looks down. "Yes, yes. I will assist regardless." _

Rufico opens his eyes and thinks of what he has been shown. The horrific nature of what Molag Bal had done to the Shadow Scale. The Void gathered the scant remains of Stalks-In-Darkness's soul...though all that remains of him now is memories of his final moments, and moments after before The Void retreated to bring what it had gathered to the Dread Father and Night Mother. Rufico rises from the water and walks to Speaker Malkeyranis, streams of water pouring from his body as he regards the Speaker. No words are spoken, no words need to be. Rufico turns and dresses. It is personal in a way, though he would have thought The Brotherhood and The Void beyond that. "It's time, is it not?" Rufico asks quietly.   
Speaker Malkeyranis nods. "You are our Dread Father's dagger in the night, Rufico. You understand why we are involved in this. For this betrayal, and for the souls, the Daedric Prince intends to try to steal. He cannot continue to lay claim on all the souls of Nirn. The Void and other Princes are in like mind about this." Speaker Malkeyranis says. "It is time to finish your training."  
Rufico swallows and turns from Speaker Malkeyranis to look further in the cavern. Its dominated by the strange pool, but in the far back is a place where the shadows gather like inky pools. Just looking at it is enough to raise goosebumps. One can cross from Nirn into The Void there, and that is not something that should happen until one has fallen. To go when alive... Speaker Malkeyranis had warned Rufico when he started down this course. If he lacked resolve, if he lacked anything at all, it could break his mind, at the very least. It was not something the old Rufico could venture into. But the old Rufico was nearly gone, was he not? Once Rufico stepped into The Void, all that was his old self would die.   
"When you are ready, Brother." Speaker Malkeyranis says. "You know silence now, and you know time is nearly up. I trust you will finish your training and be what you need to be." Speaker Malkeyranis turns and moves to the stairs. "I have a meeting to attend to," he says as he leaves Rufico.  
Rufico stares into the shadows, his mind moving backward as he reflects on his first days here.

_The portal opens deep in the wilds of Mournhold and Speaker Malkeyranis walks to a rock-face and moves inside a small opening that one would only be able to see if they knew to look for it. Rufico follows him to a menacing black door with a skull upon it. Rufico almost steps back, the door feels alive, it seems to breathe and Rufico can feel a heartbeat in the stones all around him. Speaker Malkeyranis glances back at him. "We will teach you to embrace death, and you will shed your fear," he says as he turns back to the door and places his hand on it.  
The door speaks, in a voice like bones raking over the ground. "What is life's ultimate prize?"   
"The Void," Speaker Malkeyranis replies, and it opens to let the two of them pass.  
The Sanctuary is cast in stone and much of it is under the rock face that they entered in. Speaker Malkeyranis quickly moves through its twists and turns to a large meeting room, where the rest of The Brotherhood is waiting. Rufico's eyes move from each in turn. A elder Dunmer woman with crafty cunning eyes. An Altmer with long silver hair who's lying on a table, her golden eyes following Rufico. A grey-furred with black markings Khajiit leaning against a wall, picking at his claws, and a short Bosmer with light brown hair who gazes at him with silver eyes framed with black. "This is your new family, Rufico Lexonus." Speaker Malkeyranis tells him. "Vilvyna is our Matron," he explains, his eyes moving to the Dunmer woman. "Mircarya has joined us recently, Vashfazir is the one who trains new members, and Magore is our current Silencer."  
Magore glares at Rufico. "One height joke, you'll find a knife where ya really do not want one," he warns.   
"He seems like a jokester," Mircarya says, moving from the table and circling Rufico, who tries to keep her eyes on her lithe movements. "So that should be interesting to see," she laughs and runs her fingers down Rufico's neck before leaping back on the table, spinning around before sitting with her legs crossed.  
Vashfazir looks at Rufico up and down. "He does not look like much to this one," Vashfazir says. "Like a little ruffian far from home. Do you want to run home, little ruffian?"  
Vilvyna holds up her hand and approaches Rufico, her eyes lock onto his and in them, Rufico sees death, darkness. Perhaps another would break away from her intense stare, but Rufico had known both.   
"You have seen horrors, little Imperial," Vilvyna says softly. "Death will welcome you. We, welcome you, though this situation is unusual for us. But what Our Night Mother whispers to us, we follow." Vilvyna turns her eyes to Vashfazir. "He is young, but the Speaker has told me of his story. He escaped the Plane-Meld at a very young age." Her gaze moves back to Rufico. "To know death at such a young age. Perhaps your path would of always lead you here," her gaze intensives. "Speaker Malkeyranis has also told me that you like to act like a carefree ruffian. That will not hold here. Drop your little act, and be who you really are." Vilvyna smiles, a smile with just a hint of cruelty. "We'll help peel those layers from you until all that's left is your core. Then you can be remade as the Night Mother and the Dread Father needs you to be."  
Rufico swallows. "That is why I'm here," Rufico says. "Though I still don't understand why me," he admits. "I'm hardly anything at all."  
Vashfazir moves closer to him. "This one thinks that is the point. Now come with Vashfazir. This one thinks you may hate me a little soon." The Khajiit grins, showing so many fangs and turns, walking deeper into the sanctuary. Rufico swallows again. Once, he may have made a careless joke or two, but that part of him seems to have already started to die with the horrific battle at Craglorn. Seeing two people he had come to call friends at death's door had shaken him more than he told anyone. He could not be a worthless ruffian anymore, and he no longer wanted to. So he follows the Khajiit and pledges to let them do what they must to change him. To make him something other than worthless. Something that can help his friends, next time._

Vashfazir was right, Rufico thought as he snaps out of his thoughts. The training was not for the faint of heart. Endless matches against the Khajiit and the other Brotherhood members until he knew how to fight from the shadows, how to be lethal, deadly. Learning the art of poison, of blades, of stealth and when he was ready...murder. The Speaker sent him on Sacraments as soon as he was ready. The first time he killed he almost hesitated. Only the thought of wanting to be more than worthless kept him moving forward until the Breton woman he had been sent to kill was dead at his feet. Her eyes...he will never forget those eyes as the light faded from them. It got easier after her, though and Rufico slowly started to change.   
And now? Now it was time to finish the change. To step into The Void and destroy the last bit of who he used to be. Murder the useless ruffian who could not even help his friends. Rufico's eyes narrow. He will never be useless again. He would help his friends, help Nirn. He would murder for both until the ground ran red with the blood of those who The Void wanted ended. Rufico steps forward and moves toward the shadows.


	58. Act 4 -Interlude- Among the Roots

-Star-song Tribe-  
Softly-Spoken-Crab sits by the Egg-nest of Star-Song tribe, resting from her training. She had been here for months and would be here a while longer. She thinks back to coming here. How strange had it been. Her eyes close as she remembers her first day.

_Softly-Spoken-Crab had journeyed with Jeer-Tei deep into the marsh and at last, they arrived at Star-Song tribe. Softly-Spoken-Crab was still a little afraid, still had not heard the Hist speak. She took in the village as the Star-Song tribe had taken her in, and been so uncertain until Tree-minder Neeseta came to her and took her hands into hers. "Many are taken from the Hist, never to hear the Hist speak. To welcome one back is always a great joy. Come, Softly-Spoken-Crab. Let me take you to our Hist, so you may know it.  
Softly-Spoken-Crab nodded and followed the Tree-minder, and she sits under the Hist. Tree-Minder Nesseta moves to the Hist and touches it gently, then sits by Softly-Spoken-Crab. "You must know the Hist, Softly-Spoken-Crab, and you must also know certain truths." Tree-Minder Nesseta tells her as her claws bring up a small jar. "Sap from the Hist. Do not fear, Softly-Spoken-Crab. You were meant to come home, meant to be the champion of life."  
Softly-Spoken-Crab takes the jar, looks into its depths. "I never asked for this," Softly-Spoken-Crab says. "But I never would think of backing away, despite my fear. The lovely lady showed me some of what could happen. The sorrow it could cause." Softly-Spoken-Crab brings the jar to her mouth and drinks and the world goes dark._

_Softly-Spoken-Crab opens her eyes and all is dark for a moment before green life surges all around her. The Hist grows before her eyes, as do ferns, plants, trees, and flowers. Softly-Spoken-Crab moves in a circle marveling at it all before turning to the Hist.  
"Softly-Spoken-Crab," The Hist seems to say, speaking inside her head, or perhaps inside her very being.   
Softly-Spoken-Crab smiles as the Hist speaks, she can feel the Hist, and it is as if a part of her she never knew was gone, was suddenly there like a flower rising from a seed. "I can feel you," Softly-Spoken-Crab says, her eyes wide. "I do not have words,"  
"Your thoughts are felt, Softly-Spoken-Crab. We are connected now, as it should be. Now sit, and see what we have to show you."  
Softly-Spoken-Crab sits under the glowing Hist and the past appears to her as if it was happening this very moment. She knows Keerasi-Zish's truth, sees his life before he was cut off and banished, and became Viperish Night. It fills her with such sadness, to see how lonely his life in the Marsh had been. And then, The Hist shows her the why of it, the truth of the corruption inside of him, and Softly-Spoken-Crab is filled with a chill she feels down to her very spine. To know Keerasi-Zish is to know true despair. Softly-Spoken-Crab lowers her head and shakes and the vision blurs as she wakes. _

_Softly-Spoken-Crab feels tears on her cheeks and she looks at Tree-minder Neeseta. "I am glad to be home, Tree-minder Neeseta," Softly-Spoken-Crab says. "But the truth..."  
"You need time," Tree-minder Neeseta says. "Take time, and then you will begin your training. We need to teach you the ways of the River, and the Hist need to teach you more, what none of us have yet needed."_

Softly-Speckled-Crab opens her eyes as Tree-Minder Neeseta moves beside her. "The eggs are precious," Tree-minder Neeseta says with a kind hiss. "Those that have been filled with Argonian souls waiting for rebirth are treasured, always," Tree-minder Neeseta gazes at the eggs of Star-song tribe with love.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab follows her gaze to the eggs. "So even if someone does something awful to one, it must still be born," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.   
"Yes, to murder an unborn for any reason. The Hist would weep." Tree-minder Neeseta says and falls silent for a few long moments. "Keerasi-Zish should have been loved. But the taint upon him was great and could be felt by nearly all Argonians. Their instincts caused them to shy away from what was so different, so wrong. He was not loved. He should have been." Tree-minder Neeseta closes her eyes. "We hold much blame for this."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab closes her eyes too, thinking of the Argonian Keerasi-Zish who became Viperish Night when his people forsook him. Her spine aches with sadness, to not be loved for something you could not help, the loneliness and sadness he must have felt. Softly-Speckled-Crab can only imagine it, for she had been loved. Her Egg-parents was gone, but she could sometimes still feel their love, their desire that Softly-Speckled-Crab not fall into hatred of the Dunmer, for being what they were. They knew no other way. "Keerasi-Zish could have been good," Softly-Speckled-Crab says as her eyes reopen. "I think his Egg-mother loves him. She spared him, despite what he has done." Softly-Speckled-Crab sighs softly. "But it is too late for love."  
Tree-minder Neeseta is silent for a few more moments, gathering her words. "Even a small drop of water can alter the river's course," she says. "Or the drop could be swallowed and lost." She opens her eyes to gaze upon Softly-Spoken-Crab.   
Tree-minder Neeseta's gaze is heavy and Softly-Spoken-Crab knows truth, for the Hist has sung to her since she arrived here. "The Hist had to banish Keerasi-Zish, for the venomous Daedric taint could not be drained from him, and it could have spread and destroyed all of us and the Hist." Softly-Spoken-Crab's eyes harden as she rises, taking hold of her staff with a sure grip. "The Hist gave him a chance at life. Life is sacred, and he now takes it without mercy." A trace of sadness passes over her.  
"You are kind, Softly-Spoken-Crab," Tree-minder Neeseta says. "But if Keerashi-Zish is utterly lost, it is a kindness to him and all others to end him."  
"I know, Tree-minder," Softly-Spoken-Crab says, and then her head moves toward the Hist. "The Hist calls for me. I must travel between its roots for my final training." Softly-Spoken-Crab says. The Hist had been preparing her for months for this. To enter the very roots, in a place between reality and dreams, where time had no meaning. She would remain until she was ready. Her kindness would have to be put aside and she would have to take the final step into becoming the Hist's champion and doing anything she must to save the Argonian's and the Hist...and the rest of Nirn.  
Tree-minder Neeseta rises and moves to Softly-Spoken-Crab and takes her face in her hands. "Be what you need to be, put aside what you must, but do not destroy it. Someday you may need your kindness again, Softly-Spoken-Crab. In more peaceful days."  
Softly-Spoken-Crab cups Tree-Minder Neeseta's hands with her own. "I will try, Tree-Minder," she steps from her and turns to the Hist, and moves toward it, and her final training.


	59. Act 4 -Interlude- Into The Inferno's Heart

-Elden Root-  
It took all day to care for the injured from the horrific battle. At last, the injured have been treated and are resting. Iriea is weary. Some may not make it through the night, but she and the other healers have done what they can. And so now, she moves to the small room near the infirmary where Iveryni rests. Iriea takes care of her and then leans against the wall, looking at the Dunmer. Iveryni lost enough blood that she should have fallen at Craglorn, but somehow her body clung to life and it has stood between life and death ever since. A shiver runs down Iriea's body. She knows Iveryni's soul is unmoored and far from here. Will she know to come back? How can she come back, when the damage is so severe recovery seems impossible, even with what Iriea and the other healers have done?

-Deadlands-  
Iveryni flinches from the inferno before her. As a Dunmer she is somewhat resistant to fire, but this is not normal fire. It burns as bright as the dawn, as hot as the sun, and the darkness of the Daedra flickers through it. Iveryni steps back. "I cannot," Iveryni hisses, sweat dripping from her body. "It is too much to bear."  
The inferno surges and then dies down leaving Iveryni alone in the cave shaking. She thought she knew fire from her studies of destruction magic, but this...  
"Mortal, you fear the flames."   
Iveryni's head snaps up as her eyes regard the Daedra standing on the other side of the room. Dark black armor, dusky red skin with three rolls of horns, and crimson red eyes. Iveryni has come to rely on this Daedra to survive here, but she has also come to nearly loath him for the brutal training she has endured. "I feel the heat," Iveryni says. "It tells me it will destroy me. Eradicate my soul from existence, Deimyite. How am I to step into it knowing that?"  
Deimyite crosses his arms over his chest and glowers at her. "If you fear it, that is what will happen. You will never be strong enough to be our Prince's champion if your fear continues to dominate you. You must shed your fear and embrace the dawn. Only then will you be his Champion. Only then can you stop Viperish Night from sending all the souls of Nirn to his Egg-Father, Molag Bal."  
The truth of it all still staggers Iveryni. She was told soon after her training began. What Molag Bal had done was find a way to manifest on Nirn, but in such a way that the Compact was not broken. He was in mortal form, so his true self was not present. It was a way to get around it, and to get what he desired, all the souls of Nirn. Once more, he tried to take everything, and this time it was more than just Meridia who had gotten involved in finding ways to influence the outcome. Including choosing champions to do battle in their steed. Iveryni takes a deep breath. She knows she must overcome her fear. She must find a way to surrender utterly to the fire, and be reborn. Otherwise... Iveryni's eyes narrow. "I will embrace the flames," she tells Deimyite. "I need time to gather myself first."  
Deimyite scowls at her. "Time runs differently here. Our Prince has made sure you have more time than you would have had otherwise. But Nirn catches up with us. Do not take too much time." he tells her. All Iveryni can do is nod as she turns and retreats from the room to the surface.

Iveryni walks on the obsidian black rocks as ash falls from the dusky red sky. Occasional crimson bolts of lighting streak as she moves to the river of lava that courses through this part of the Deadlands. Her eyes move to a huge structure some distance away. Remembering what it was like when she stepped from the darkness into this fiery inferno where the air burned your lungs, and the heat parched every part of you. It was not a place mortals were meant to survive. Iveryni raises one hand and tilts it back and forth. She was mortal...yet almost not, for her physical body was back in Nirn, and it was her soul that had manifested here. Iveryni tilts her head back and closes her eyes, memories chasing her back months, or had it been longer still? 

_Iveryni steps from the darkness into the firey light of the Deadlands. The heat staggers her as she fights not to fall. She had not known that any kind of heat could stagger a Dunmer, but this...this heat had a heavy presence. Iveryni glances around, she's in a large black tower with huge openings to the left and right. And in the shadows in the back is a huge shadowy figure on a throne.  
"Iveryni Rathnil," Mehrunes Dagon says.   
Iveryni trembles, trying not to take a step back. Trying to know what to do, when this is all unknowable. Her people once worshiped the Daedric Princes, before the Tribunal. This would be frowned on now. Being here, pledging oneself to a Daedric Prince, and one from the house of troubles besides.   
"The mortal seems not to know what to do in your presence, Lord Dagon," A Daedra emerges from the shadows and stops, staring at Iveryni. "You may wish to kneel, mortal. He is your Prince now. Unless you want to close your eyes and fade from life."  
Iveryni can feel Mehrunes Dagon's eyes on her. She slowly kneels, her eyes on the floor as she fights her natural Dunmer pride. It would only get her in trouble here, and she was so uncertain. She had always been so certain, but this? This shook her to her core. What she agreed to do, to save Nirn. "My Prince," Iveryni says softly.   
"Iveryni Rathnil, there are things you must know," Mehrunes Dagon says. Iveryni raises her head and Mehrunes continues and tells her truth. Iveryni's eyes widen in shock as she learns of Molag Bal's involvement, the depths of it. Mehrunes Dagon falls silent for a moment, letting it sink into Iveryni's mind before he continues. "For our reasons, four of us have chosen to involve ourselves in this."  
Four? Iveryni stifles a gasp of shock. For four Daedric Princes to be involved in this...but what four? Should she even ask? Her eyes shine with curiosity but the look in Mehrunes Dagon's eyes has her lowering them again, deciding not to ask.   
"You must begin your training, Iveryni Rathnil," Mehrunes Dagon says. "I have matters to attend to, so Deimyite will be the one to train you."  
Deimyite smiles at that. "We will see if the mortal can withstand this kind of training. I have my doubts," he moves to Iveryni. "Come, mortal. I want to see how long it takes for you to beg me to cease your training." Deimyite laughs and his right-hand falls to his belt, where a whip with jagged edges lies.   
Iveryni rises and turns to follow him. "I will not beg, Deimyite. I will persevere. I must."  
"We shall see, mortal," Deimyite says_

_A few days later Iveryni stands on a large rock amid lava. There are more rocks near her, and on one is a Daedra. In her hands is a sword, a foreign instrument, though she has been practicing with it for a week. And then Deimyite had brought her here for a test of some kind.  
"You must learn to fight, Iveryni. Do not use your magic." Deimyite says. "You must be strong in every way, not just spell-craft."  
The Daedra withdraws his sword and comes for her and Iveryni is dashing across rocks, her sword skills clumsy. The Daedra strikes and her sword is knocked out of her hands and into the lava. The Daedra raises his sword and Iveryni's hand glows with magic as she launches a fireball at him, knocking him back.  
"ENOUGH," Deimyite thunders, and the Daedra backs down and Iveryni leaps from the rocks to the shore. Deimyite surges forward and grabs Iveryni by the arm and throws her against a rock. Iveryni catches herself with her hands and then a crack, followed by a lightning bolt of pain on her back. She gasps, as it's followed by several more. Iveryni throws her head back and screams, finally falling to the ground. Deimyite moves toward her. "Get up, mortal," he hisses. "You will be punished when you falter, when you fail. Only then will you find the strength to be reborn as you are meant to be." Iveryni staggers up, her eyes filled with fiery anger as she stares at Deimyite. "Good, mortal. Hate me. Use whatever it takes to be strong enough to withstand the flames." Deimyite looks back at the rocks and Iveryni staggers to them, picking up another sword as she tries again. Tries not to fail. _

Iveryni opens her eyes, once more returning to the present. She never once begged, but there were times she wanted to. Times she wanted to flee back to Nirn, fade into death, scream for mercy. Anything but continuing, for the training was like none she had ever endured. Anytime she faltered, Deimyite had lashed her with his whip, until she struggled up to try again, and again until she triumphed. She knew how to fight without magic, should she need to now. Her body was no longer the lithe mage she had once been but honed with muscles and steel. And her magic? It had grown in leaps and bounds. She could command the lava to rise from the earth, the fire to leap from her palms to streak across the ground until they engulfed her target. She was almost strong enough now. Just... Iveryni turns back to the cavern. She had to overcome the last of the fear and doubt within her and embrace the flames. Risk everything so she may be what she needs to be. Iveryni takes a deep breath and heads back down.


	60. Act 4 -Interlude- The Light that Holds No Mercy

-The Colored Rooms-  
Aqua crystal water, strange coral forms rising from it. The sky a misty sea green with brilliant nebulous streaks of blue and aqua that seem to swirl with stars. Time seems almost frozen here. Theodyn had long ago lost track of time. Had it been months or years? What has happened back on Nirn? Nirn and his life there...sometimes seemed so far away to Theodyn. Though his training consumed most of his waking hours and left little room for wondering what had happened why he had been here.  
Theodyn holds Dawnbreaker as shards of coral hover in midair all around him. They shimmer briefly before raining down upon him from all sides, their edges razor-sharp. Theodyn spins and the coral fractures under his dance with Dawnbreaker. He misses one however and he freezes as it hovers in front of his throat. Theodyn frowns, disappointed in himself. "Still not enough," Theodyn says softly.  
A golden glow infuses the area and Theodyn turns to see Meridia in all her splendor has appeared. "You know what you must do, Theodyn Vautrine," Meridia says. "You hesitate at this last stage of your training."   
Theodyn lowers Dawnbreaker as the last coral shard vanishes. He knows. He must fully accept Meridia's light and step into the purifying water. It...scares him. His memories flashback to when he first arrived. 

_Theodyn passes through the portal into Merida's realm of the Colored Rooms. He falls to his knees as the portal snaps shut, shaking and near sick. Only through sheer force of will is he able to drag himself to his feet to follow the Prince further into her realm. Meridia leads him to a shimmering pool of aqua shimmering with brilliant golden light. "Rest by the pool," Meridia tells him. "But do not enter the water, or drink of it, Theodyn Vautrine. You are not ready yet." His strength nearly gone, all Theodyn can do is nod as he moves to the pool and collapses on his side near it shivering violently. Meridia kneels by him and rests her hand on his shoulder. "Being near my pool will purify the corruption the vampire left within you," she tells him. "You must not leave, or the purification will fail. It will not be easy, Theodyn. You will want to flee. You must not, or you will fall." Meridia rises and with a soft burst of golden light is gone, leaving Theodyn alone.  
Theodyn stares at the pool, the light shimmering within was blinding, and being near it in his near vampiric state was agony. Can he even bear this kind of pain? It felt as if it was seeping deep within him and destroying part of him. Theodyn's fingers grip the ground as the pain sweeps through him and becomes all he knows. He screams as the pain becomes all-consuming, blinding. The corruption in him starts to whisper to him, telling him to run, to escape and embrace the dark, far away from this light, this endless agony. But Theodyn ignores it and endures the seemingly endless waves of agony and when at last the pain fades he feels the corruption vanish. As he lies there shaking, he knows the truth. He is cured and more than that, he could never be corrupted in this way again.   
Theodyn's eyes close and he rests for a time. When at last he opens them a familiar gray tabby with black stripes is staring at him. "Shoulda come with Uncle Leo, would have been less pain. Maybe." The tabby meows at him.  
Theodyn stares at the cat and rolls over on his back laughing. "I think I'm seeing things," Theodyn says.   
Sheogorath walks around Theodyn, stopping near his head. "All this is madness! I want in. But will they give me a mortal to play with? NO! RUDE!" Sheogorath twitches his tail. "Crazy is not the road the heroes need to walk down. WHY NOT? I have just as much to lose!" Sheogorath hisses and spins without waiting for a response. "My cue to leave!" he turns and vanishes as Meridia appears and moves to Theodyn who sits up to gaze at his Prince.  
Meridia studies him. "To attract the attention of two of us, Theodyn. You may be blessed, or cursed," she tells him.  
"Both, I think," Theodyn says. "With respect, my Prince. Is...that how I am to address you now?"   
Meridia laughs. "Mortal youths can be amusing. Call me what feels right, Theodyn. You are to be my champion. Now rise, and your training will begin._

Meridia sees Theodyn's thoughts wander. "Walk with me, Theodyn," she tells him and Theodyn sheaths Dawnbreaker and follows Meridia. "Why do you yet fear my light?" she asks him.  
"I am who I am, Prince Meridia," Theodyn says. "I will no longer be that when I step into the light."   
"You knew this when you accepted by hand, Theodyn," Meridia chides as she stops and turns to him, her unfathomable eyes seeming to stare right through him. "Speak your true thoughts," she orders him.  
Theodyn is silent and Meridia allows him time to gather his thoughts and words. Theodyn is fully committed to this path and yet he fears the final step, for he will become something else. Prince Meridia is the Lady of Light, but Theodyn has found that light can be so cold, so filled with loathing, perhaps even hate. Theodyn thinks of Jeziasi, the Vestige. Meridia wanted her to suffer so, for Jeziasi had saved Nirn from Molag Bal only to submit to him later and start this horrific nightmare. Meridia holds no mercy for Jeziasi, would not even entertain the notion that perhaps, yes Jeziasi made a mistake but had been deceived by Molag Bal. How could she have known who he really was? Theodyn finally speaks, "The Light holds no mercy," Theodyn says softly.  
Meridia's eyes darken. "You pity her?" Meridia says. "She gazed into the eyes of her most hated enemy and dismissed the fact that it was him. She laid down with him, willingly. Gave him what he needed to curse this world with a necromancer that could use the cursed Band of T'zlich to raise an undead army the likes which have never been seen. She and her son deserve no mercy and will burn in my light." The Colored Rooms seem to shake with her fury and Theodyn lowers his head.  
"I know better than to stay my hand with Viperish Night," Theodyn says. His sister thought him worth saving once, but now? Now he was beyond mercy, beyond saving.   
"And what if Jeziasi steps in your way?" Meridia asks. "She has already spared that abomination against life twice."  
Theodyn takes a deep breath. "Then I will not stay my hand with her either, my Prince," Theodyn promises.  
Meridia steps closer to him. "Then cast your remaining doubts aside and embrace my light. Become my champion and have no mercy for those who defile life. Time flows differently here, Theodyn. But time is still running out." Meridia turns and vanishes, leaving him to his thoughts.  
Theodyn knows he must. But he must not have doubts when he steps into the pool or it may very well destroy him. He moves to sit upon the ground and try to gather his courage to banish all doubt, all fear so he can take the final step in his training, in becoming what he must be.


	61. Act 4 -Interlude- The Stars Cast Their Light

-Unknown Location-  
Near a forest, a glen filled with wildflowers under a strange starlight sky the night suddenly falls silent. The sound of crickets cease, night animals quiet, even the wind falls still. The air starts to shimmer around the glade as an apparition forms near the trees. A powerful body, armed with bow and knife with the head of a majestic stag, antlers that seem to reach up toward the stars. The next to appear is a mysterious beautiful figure in a long robe that shimmers like the night sky. The sun and moons seem to shimmer into existence around her as she stands in flowers, her glow shining them soft blue light. In the shadows of a large group of rocks near the edge of the glen, a massively powerful figure appears, cast in shadows. A glimmer of red skin, fiery dark eyes, and horns are the only things that can be seen of him. The last to appear is a woman shimmering with golden light, wearing simple garments. Her eyes are like chips of gold, cold and angry. The four are silent, for the shadows are gathering and a portal of inky darkness appears, and out steps Speaker Malkeyranis of the Dark Brotherhood. He regards the four Princes with cold and unafraid eyes before stalking to a large flat rock and stands next to it, claiming his place. Before anyone can break the silence, there is a small pop and a grey tabby with black stripes appears and moves to Speaker Malkeyranis, rubbing against his legs before leaping onto the rock and hissing at everyone.  
Meridia's eyes move to the cat, regarding him in an icy light. "What are you doing here, Prince of Madness?"  
Sheogorath arches his back and yowls at everyone. "Why should I NOT be here!? The damn lizard wants to end all madness! THAT IS NOT ALRIGHT!"  
"Quiet," Mehrunes Dagon speaks, "Or I will squash you like vermin beneath my heel."  
"Rude!" Sheogorath hisses.   
"Quiet, Prince of Madness, and we will let you stay," Azura says. "Unless you think you can stop all four of us from banishing you back to your realm of the Shivering Isles."   
Sheogorath hisses again and then circles and curls up on the rock. "As long as you know I have a steak in all of this. Stake!" He puts his head on his paws and finally falls silent.  
"Now that is settled..." Azura says, but Meridia is quick to interrupt her.  
"Enough of these petty things," Meridia says, anger flowing through her eyes as she turns to Hircine. "We agreed to work together because of what that foul beast Molag Bal has done!" Meridia snaps. "We agreed to aid in the prophecy, to ensure he never gets his way. So why, Lord of the Hunt, have you done this?" Meridia steps closer to Hircine. "Why choose the one who helped cause all of this? She is unworthy and defiled, by her own choices! And she aids that abomination of a necromancer!"  
"Calm, Meridia," Azura says.   
Meridia turns on Azura, the anger palpable in the air. "Silence! I will have an answer."  
"I would know as well," Mehrunes Dagon says, as he too turns to Hircine.  
Hircine regards Mehrunes Dagon before turning his gaze back onto Merida. "Without Jeziasi in play the hunt is predictable. Viperish Night is hunted and killed, or he hunts and kills all of Nirn." Hircine smiles. "With her...so much more interesting. A hunt worth watching."  
"You are mad, Hircine." Meridia hisses.   
"No, he's not!" Sheogorath chirps in. "I am the mad one! All the madness belongs to me!" As the Prince's glare at him, he settles and falls silent again.  
Speaker Malkeyranis is observing all of this in silence, his eyes following the Princes every word. He crosses his arms against his chest, a small smirk on his face. He is entertained at the petty infighting between such powerful forces.  
Mehrunes Dagon catches the Speaker's smile and he snarls. "Enough of this petty squabbling." Mehrunes Dagon says as his eyes turn toward Hircine. "The Vestige can turn the tides, cause the dawn to rise for her son. This is not what I want, Hircine."  
"If a hunt has no risk, what is the point?" Hircine asks.   
Meridia's glow intensifies and she advances on Hircine. "Relinquish your hold on her, revoke her as your chosen champion or face my WRATH," Merida says.   
Hircine's eyes glow and he snarls. "Watch your tone, Lady of Light. My wolfs prosper across all of Nirn. If I had cause to raise them all in my Wild Hunt, do you think you could stand against that?" Meridia halts and then she backs down, returning to her previous spot. Hircine's eyes follow her, as a wolf follows a rabbit. "Be glad I have no designs on Nirn, save to watch the hunt and watch my wolfs until they come home to my Hunting Grounds."  
Speaker Malkeyranis finally breaks his silence. "Now that the threats are done with, can we continue?" Speaker Malkeyranis asks.   
"The mortal finally speaks," Azura says. "You, who represent The Dread Father, The Night Mother, the everlasting Void."  
"Molag Bal took one of our own." Speaker Malkeyranis says. "We of the Dark Brotherhood are accustomed to death, including that of our Brothers and Sisters as well as our own. But Molag Bal destroyed Stalks-In-Darkness's soul. Stalks-In-Darkness was a loyal member of our family. His reward should have been The Void, not annihilation."  
"Molag Bal oversteps," Azura says, the sun and moons circling her. "He has defiled the Vestige, created an offspring that has more power than any mortal should have, and seeks to get around the Compact itself with his mortal manifestation." Azura pauses and her eyes move to Speaker Malkeyranis. "And how he took his mortal form..." she trails off.  
"To cross Sotha Sil is no small thing." Mehrunes Dagon says. "Though I am loathe to admit it."   
"And yet you scheme as well, Prince of Destruction," Meridia says. "We are not unaware of your current plans."  
"My plans are my business." Mehrunes Dagon says. "They are no concern of any of yours."  
"Again with the petty squabbling," Speaker Malkeyranis says.   
"You dare mortal?" Meridia says.  
"He has a point," Azura says as the sun and moons glow brighter, causing attention to be focused on her. "We gathered to form this temporary allegiance. To choose champions to represent the Prophecy. Mortals have free will, however, and their actions are not predictable."  
"That's what makes them so fun!" Sheogorath meows.  
"Life, Light. Dark, death. And one other, the Vestige. According to your prophecy, she had to be chosen for this," Speaker Malkeyranis says, pointing out Meridia's protest was futile and earning a glaring look from her.   
"Without the Vestige darkness is cast, With her, it may yet still be," Azura says, quoting the prophecy. "This is what the stars spoke of, what the sun and moons shone their light upon."  
"She is still defiled," Meridia says. "Still responsible for this," Meridia says. "She fell from the light. I will not forget or forgive this."  
Mehrunes Dagon laughs. "Mortals choices always amuse," he says. "The Vestige has given us such entertainment...and annoyance at times," he adds, glancing at Meridia.   
"And yet, it is I that claimed her," Hircine says. "She turned to me when I offered the hunt to her. She did not refuse the gift."  
"And yet, she turned from you," Meridia says. "You should be furious, that she would dare."  
Hircine's eyes fill with anger. "Jeziasi allowed herself to be hunted and caught. Do not make the mistake of thinking I have forgotten or forgiven this. I rarely give second chances," Hircine says.  
Sheogorath interrupts him. "Never! I pay attention!"  
Hircine continues as if Sheogorath had never interrupted. "Jeziasi will not fail me again. Her fangs will come down upon Molag Bal's throat."  
"And if she does fail?" Mehrunes Dagon asks. "You must know how high the risk of her Son being utterly corrupted by Molag Bal is. Of him following under his father's sway. The Vestige will follow her son."  
"Then the Wild Hunt will ride and rend her flesh from her bones," Hircine says. "I will revoke all of my gifts should she fail, should she once more become Molag Bal's prey." Hircine's eyes fill with wrath. "If the Wild Hunt must ride into Coldharber itself to rend judgment, it will."  
"Daedric Princes truly have no mercy," Speaker Malkeyranis says. "Like-minded with The Void," his eyes narrow. "Now what is the state of all of the chosen? That is why we are here."  
"Iveryni Rathnil is nearly ready to embrace the flames of a new dawn," Mehrunes Dagon answers.  
"Theodyn Vautrine has far too much mercy within him," Meridia says. "But he is nearly ready to be engulfed in my light. He will have little mercy left than."  
"I have given my chosen to the Hist," Azura says. "The Hist is life, its roots cover all of the marsh and the Argonian's are leaves to its branches. They feel the blame for this deeply. Softly-Speckled-Crab moves even now to the roots of the marsh...she will be ready when she needs to be."  
"Rufico Lexonus embraces the shadows," Speaker Malkeyranis says. "He will come out of The Void our merciless dagger."  
The glade falls silent and everyone turns to Hircine, who has not yet spoken of his chosen. Hircine laughs. "My chosen seems to be hunting for the other side for the moment. I decline to share her status with you." With a shimmer, he vanishes.  
Meridia snarls and she vanishes in an angry golden burst, Azura fades and is gone, and Mehrunes Dagon laughs again before he too vanishes.   
"This has been...boring!" Sheogorath declares, standing up and stretching. "Or maybe it was interesting!" he gives a few licks to one paw. "Meridia should have punched Hircine! THAT would have been entertaining!" Speaker Malkeyranis turns without giving Sheogorath a second look and enters the black portal, as it snaps shut Sheogorath yowls. "Was it something I said?"


	62. Act 4 - The Fury of the Storm

It's been a week since the battle at Greenshade, and it's the longest period they have not gone out hunting. It feels strange, unnatural, and far too quiet without the screams of the dying and the blessed silence after. The thoughts in Viperish Night's head clammer for attention in this pause, it's nearly enough to drive him mad, but the pause was necessary. The past week has been spent in rest and planning. It is very nearly time to start the real war, but Viperish Night needs more of the undead in certain spots. So they have been locating areas where he can raise the dead that have few if any settlements near for part of this. Of course, some larger assaults are still needed, but how many of the orbs the Dominion have is in question, and have they shared them with the other allegiances? It cannot be a lot, or a trap would have been sprung sooner. Of course, the solution for those possible traps is simple, bring in those who have sworn to fight with Viperish Night in his war. All of them have been in wait, and some like the remnants of The Worm Cult have been killing on their own and creating mass grave-sites for Viperish Night to raise when he is ready. But at last, the break is ended and today they strike at Skyrim. The Razorhorn Clan are even now preparing to lay siege to the towns near the border and several more Reachmen clans have agreed to assist in the assault.  
Viperish Night rises from the floor and stalks to the doorway. He pauses and looks toward the Throne Room, then turns to head in the direction of Jeziasi's room. Once there Viperish Night pauses outside as Zirasha walks out. She pauses to gaze at Viperish Night with an eager look in her eyes. "You do not like the stillness either," Viperish Night says.   
"I get bored," Zirasha says. "Bored and hungry." Viperish Night tilts his head and taps his claw against his head. Zirasha stills. "...that too, Viperish Night," Zirasha softy says. "The fear is gone, the memories remain." Zirasha suddenly hisses at him and bursts into mist and flows away.   
Jeziasi pokes her head out. "Getting her to open up always results in that, or threats to bite," Jeziasi says and she pulls back as Viperish Night walks into her room.   
"Egg-mother," Viperish Night says, gazing at her intensely. What happened a week ago still bothers him. How he had to treat her, how part of him started not to care. It chilled him to think of it. He had slowly returned to his normal state, but the transformation had chilled him, and his emotions for a while. "Are you ready?" Viperish Night asks.  
Jeziasi gazes back at him. "Yes, Viperish Night. Lead and I will follow," Jeziasi pauses, a look of thought crossing her face. "I am still thinking of a way to hunt him. He's stronger than my wolf, faster than Zirasha, and commands Coldharbour's legions. And we do not know all of it."  
Viperish Night hisses slightly. "The four of us, my undead. It seems enough, Egg-mother but..." he tilts his head thinking. "It's not, is it?"  
"Something we are missing," Jeziasi says. "I can feel it, my instincts can feel it. We need more time before our pack can strike."  
"Before the war?" Viperish Night asks.  
A troubled look crosses Jeziasi's face as she stills. "I do not know..." she softly says.  
"The pain in your eyes, Egg-mother..." Viperish Night says as he lowers his head. "I..."  
"I chose this, Viperish Night," Jeziasi says. "To walk with you."  
"But you would have me swim another river," Viperish Night says with an angry hiss.   
"I want better then this for you," Jeziasi says.   
Viperish Night's eyes darken. "It is too late."  
A look of despair crosses Jeziasi's face. "I know," she says simply and moves to him, resting her head against his. "Do what you must. I should tell you not to, mother's do that, but if I do I will lose you. I cannot bear that." Jeziasi whispers. "I have lost far to much already."  
Viperish Night just leans into his Egg-mother, softly shaking. He must do this because nothing else makes sense to him. Only death does. Not to follow this path causes utter agony to surge through his spine. The screams of living grow and threaten to drown him. He will not let them win. They do not deserve mercy. No one does. Except...perhaps his Egg-mother. He cannot stop for her, even though the pain in her eyes flays him. Viperish Night struggles to explain, but fails and falls silent instead.  
"Viperish Night..." Jeziasi asks. "Do you intend to transform again?"   
"If I must," Viperish Night says.   
Jeziasi is silent for a long moment before she cautiously speaks. "Using it...it draws you closer to him. I fear for you."  
Viperish Night is silent, remembering what it felt like. Such power, freedom from the thoughts and emotions that plague him. Part of him knows she's right. But part of him wants to feel it again. He cannot promise her anything so he moves from her and turns, walking away. "Come, Egg-mother. We have battle to wage in Skyrim."   
Jeziasi stares as he walks away and slowly lowers her head. "Yes, Viperish Night," she says softly.

-The Reach, near the border-  
A landscape of harsh rugged highlands, scrub grass, and plans. And so very many Reachmen. Jeziasi's head spins for a moment as shards of memory surface. Viperish Night's first meeting with Razorhorn clan, and how he had taken her with them. And now, here they are back among them again.   
Fasi moves up to them as the portal closes. "She's awake," Fasi says to Zirasha, and once more she seems mesmerized by Zirasha.   
Zirasha looks at Fasi as she stares at her. "Fasi, you were like this before," Zirasha says curiously.  
"I..." Fasi starts but is soon interrupted by the approach of Chieftain Dravrefe, who stops in front of Viperish Night.  
"Clans Boneslasher, Storm Claws, and Bear Beaters have joined us," Chieftain Dravrefe says. "We are ready to strike Skyrim, to kill some Nords," he says with a bloodthirsty grin.   
Viperish Night nods. "Simple rules. No survivors. I will raise the dead after to join my army." Viperish Night hisses.  
"We rarely take prisoners," Chieftain Dravrefe answers. "Those we do take, never last all that long." he pauses and glances at Jeziasi. "Your pet is awake."  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "Yes, she awoke from dreams and joined us. She's a very fierce pet." A smile crosses his face.   
The Chieftain's eyes move to Jeziasi and the two stare at each other for long moments. "Something else as well," Chieftain Dravrefe says. "We recognize Hircine's own."  
"That too," Viperish Night adds as the clans start to move, ready to march into Skyrim.

-Skyrim - Karthwatch -   
Viperish Night and his allies had breached the border gate and crossed over into Western Skyrim. They had descended upon Karthwatch only to find the town utterly deserted and then the Nords had streamed down the rocky crags where they had been lying in wait. Tyranius laughs as he grips his scythe. "They must have sent half their army after us!" he yells as the Nords descend upon him.  
"Let them come," Viperish Night says with a glimmer in his eyes as the necromancy starts to flow through him, at last quieting his screaming thoughts. The long-forgotten dead rise, as well as Dire Wolfs and Giant Bears. Several Mammoths' burst from the ground as well followed by Giant skeleton's. They surge forth alongside the Reachmen and Viperish Night's allies, as the battle is joined. The battle soon moves of town, and onto the fields north of the town.  
Reachmen stream by Jeziasi as her daggers slice through Nord flesh and clash with Nord steel. Sometimes she feels the sting of a blade but ignores the shallow injuries. The battle is chaotic, Reachmen, undead, Nords, and Viperish Night and his allies all swirling around in bloody combat that will only end with the utter annihilation of the other side. Jeziasi soon gets separated from Viperish Night and the others. She turns to return to her son when ten Nords storm at her from all sides. Jeziasi snarls and throws herself into their midst her speed and deadly attacks against their brute strength. First, one dagger is lost, then another. A huge Nord comes at her with a battleax and Jeziasi snarls as her hand streaks out, the Nord flies backward, falling with a crash to the ground his neck a bloody ruin as if rent by claws. Before she can even think on this another Nord comes up behind her. Before she can spin around a ferocious snarl breaks the night as a Khajiit dressed as one of the Reachmen slams his claws into the Nord sending him crashing to the ground. The Nord staggers up, claw marks rent in his armor.   
"You rise?" The Khajiit says. "Foolish," his left hand curls on his staff and he pulls it out as thunder rumbles, and a moment later a powerful blast of lightning streaks from the staff and slams into the Nord killing him instantly. The Khajiit turns to look at Jeziasi. "The rest now," he says with a bloodthirsty grin. Jeziasi nods and the last few Nords are taken down quickly. Jeziasi scans the chaotic battlefield for she and strange Khajiit are in a bubble of momentary calm. "The necromancer is near, though rocks cover our view, and blood dampens his smell." The Khajiit tells her. "This one will take you his side." The Khajiit looks at the fallen Nords Jeziasi took down as Jeziasi collects her dagger. "This one thinks you have hidden claws. Werewolf, perhaps?" he asks Jeziasi. "Your scent is a little strange."  
"It is complicated," Jeziasi says glancing down at her hands which appear normal but covered in blood. She did rend the Nord's apart. Her gaze snaps up to the Khajiit. Dusky brown fur, chocolate stripes, a manelike mohawk of near black. "Your a Khajiit," Jeziasi says as she follows him as he turns to move through the battlefield toward Viperish Night.   
The Khajiit growls, a low angry sound. "This one is Reachmen, despite the outer appearance. Clan Storm Claw is this one's clan," he snarls softly. "This one's Khajiit clan betrayed him when he was very young. So never call this one Khajiit."  
"Fair enough," Jeziasi says. "What do I call you then?"  
He turns his head to look at her. "The Devourer of Khajiits," he tells her. At Jeziasi's stare, he adds, "Only my clan knows this one's true name." The Devourer of Khajiits focuses on moving through the field as Jeziasi follows. He suddenly laughs. "Yes, this one eats Khajiits. They give this one such power, power over the storm, over flames." He glances back at Jeziasi, his grin is slightly unsettling. "Now come, the battle awaits. This one likes killing."  
Viperish Night's blades pierce Nord flesh and he grins as his undead streak out in all directions, the screams of battle like a melody of death. Still disjointed, but moving to the harmony of silence that will exist after. His eyes dart across the battlefield looking for his Egg-mother, and he relaxes slightly as he sees her running back to him with a... Khajiit?   
Chieftain Dravrefe follows Viperish Night's gaze after he beheads the Nord he was fighting with his sword, made of bone with razor edges. "The Storm Claw's kitty," Chieftain Dravrefe says. "Savage cannibalistic thing." Chieftain Dravrefe laughs and gestures with his sword at the sky, which has started to cloud over as the battle stretched on. "The witches are almost ready to unleash the storm!" he declares.   
Jeziasi reaches Viperish Night, breathing a sigh of relief to see him unharmed. Viperish Night gazes at her and his head tilts. In the storm-filled sky, her eye's almost seem golden. Before any words can be shared the storm breaks with a mighty crash of thunder followed by lightning bolts raining down, hitting Nords with blinding flashes. Jeziasi's eyes widen, she has heard of the Reachmen and their witches but this...this power was staggering. The Nords caught in the blasts had no chance at all from the storm's fury. As the lightning flashes through the sky in blinding flashes Jeziasi's eyes catch a flash of gold crossing the field of battle, heading straight toward Viperish Night. Jeziasi almost freezes, for what her eyes see is so familiar, but of course, it cannot be him. Jeziasi snarls low in her throat and she turns and bolts toward the golden figure. When she's near enough she leaps into their path and slams into him, sending the golden armored figure flying backward with a crash upon the blood-soaked grass. They jump up right away, a shimmering gold sword in their hands. "Stay away from my son," Jeziasi says with a beastal growl as she stalks them, her eyes taking it in. Golden armor, Dawnbreaker in his hands. But not Darien. Darien is long gone, this is a new champion of Meridia. As Jeziasi closes in on him she frowns as she sets eyes on his face. It looks almost like Theodyn but older by a few years. "Theodyn...?" Jeziasi breaths.  
Theodyn looks at her, his dark brown eyes hard as he gazes at her. "Vestige," Theodyn says. "You have chosen him. Him, over Nirn."   
Jeziasi nearly flinches, his voice is so cold, his eyes so merciless. "He's my son," Jeziasi answers. "I will protect him until the end. Even against you, if I must."   
Theodyn's grip on Dawnbreaker tightens. "Meridia told me of what you have done. I thought perhaps you just made a mistake but to side the spawn of Molag Bal? Viperish Night is an abomination that should not exist. That should never have existed." Theodyn's eyes go even colder. "Perhaps you did know Swims-In-Silence's truth all along."  
Jeziasi's eyes flare with rage. She's sick of everyone thinking Viperish Night is an abomination. Even he thinks that for that is the only thing the world told him he was, that he could ever be. "Never call him that," Jeziasi snarls, and her eyes that are more golden than crystal radiate intense fury. "It's not his fault," she snarls at Theodyn. "I did not know. And I do not need you to remind me of my unforgivable mistake. I know it to my depths of my soul!"  
"He is though," Theodyn responds. "And you are defiled, just as my Prince told me you were," his eyes narrow. "I thought her too harsh, but she was right all this time."  
Something in Jeziasi snaps. All the held back fury, all the rage, and helplessness. Her utter inability to save her son, to alter his horrific course, everything. Jeziasi screams in rage and it turns into a bestial roar as the collar around her neck shatters and she sheds her mer form to become the wolf. Jeziasi bounds toward Theodyn as he raises Dawnbreaker, its fiery light streaks toward her. She snarls as the burning light engulfs her but she bounds through it to slam Theodyn with her clawed paw, sending him flying into a rock where he hits hard enough to crack his armor.   
Theodyn stares at her in shock at the impossibly fierce blow. "Your..." he trails off. Meridia had not told him about this. That Jeziasi was on Viperish Night's side. That she was the chosen champion of Hircine. "I don't understand, why would Hircine..." again, trailing off.  
Jeziasi snarls, "Try fathoming a Daedric Prince's thoughts. I do not deserve a second chance, and yet I have it." Her golden eyes narrow. "Cease your fight against Viperish Night, Theodyn. Or I will destroy you with all a mother wolf's fury."  
Theodyn staggers forward, Dawnbreaker raised. "You know I cannot do that, Jeziasi," he says.

Tyranius is on the outer edges of the battlefield, having a glorious time fighting the Nords. He's about to dispatch yet another one, when a lightning bolt hits the Nord, sending him crashing to the ground dead. "Damn it," Tyranius snarls. "Someone is always stealing my kills!"   
"That is not all you will lose this day," a female voice tells him.  
Tyranius spins around just as a powerful bolt of flame hits him, sending him crashing to the ground, his armor smoking and cracked. "What in Oblivion?" he snarls.   
"What in Oblivion indeed," A bolt of lightning in the sky illuminates Tyranius's attacker. A Dunmer with fiery red markings on her face, long black hair loose and blowing in the wind, and a scared throat stands before Tyranius. She's clad in Daedric armor, a mix of warrior and mage, and a Daedric Staff is clutched in her hands. Twin axes are belted at her waist. "Get up," she orders him. "You face Mehrunes Dagon's champion." Her eyes narrow. "And I know who's champion you are."  
Tyranius gets up and takes in her measure, his scythe held tightly in his hands. "Damn," Tyranius says. "You are a lot different than the last time I saw you. Iveryni right? Guess I should just call you Dagon's lap dog now." Tyranius laughs. "Well, let's give this a go. Always wanted to fight another Prince's champion."  
Iveryni's staff glows and another fire bolt bursts from it. This time Tyranius is ready and he leaps to the side and comes at her, his scythe swinging in a full-on attack. Iveryni dives under it and switches to her twin axes. With a cry, she leaps up as Tyranius swings around, and his scythe clashes against her axes with a mighty crash of Daedric steel. "Dagon's give you fun toys," Tyranius says as the two leaps back from each other and starts to circle, looking for an opening.  
"That is not all I was given," Iveryni says as the markings on her face glow brighter. The ground starts to rumble and lava erupts under Tyranius's feet covering them. The lava cools and traps him in place as Iveryni smirks, sheathing her axes and taking her staff out again. She raises it and it glows with a fiery dark light. "I will end you," Iveryni says as she prepares a massive spell.

The Lightning bolts rain down upon the Nords and Zirasha pauses in her bloody sport and laughs, spinning under the thunderous deluge. Her eyes delight on a Nord who dived away from the bolt and she surges toward him, taking him down and sinking her fangs deep into his throat, enjoying the bloody feast. Zirasha's head snaps up a few moments later as a flash of movement comes at her. Zirasha hisses and leaps backward as the shadowy figure comes out her with a flash of silver. She lands backward on the grass and her hand touches her throat, a shallow cut lightly bleeding. Zirasha's eyes narrow and she moves forward at vampiric speed, her knives slashing at the shadowy figure who's moving toward her again, moving just as fast as she is. The two dance under the storm, moving at impossible speed, knifes slicing shallow wounds until Zirasha mists at the next strike, reforming to grab the shadowy figure's arm and yanks them violently forward to crash upon the grass. Zirasha hisses as the shadowy figure leaps up to face her, his hood falling to his shoulders. Zirasha's eyes widen. "The Imperial brat," she breaths. He seems older than last she saw him, the softness in his face gone to be replaced with hard jagged looks and icy cold eyes. His knife drips with Zirasha's blood. Zirasha holds up her knives, bloody as well. "Nothing to say?" she says.  
Rufico is silent for a long moment as his eyes study Zirasha. "Only this, I will send you to the Void for hurting Theodyn back in Craglorn." Rufico suddenly moves forward, so very fast.   
Zirasha growls and surges toward him as well. "Should have feasted upon you, too." she snarls as the two start their deadly dance anew.

Viperish Night spins around as he too spots the golden armored figure run towards him, but Jeziasi has already dashed off to intercept. Viperish Night's eyes narrow. This is...different. Near him, The Devourer of Khajiits suddenly erupts in a fury of snarls as growls as vines erupt from the ground ensnaring him. His snarls are cut short as a vine wraps around his neck, ensnaring him in a deadly trap. The Devourer of Khajiits falls silent and his eyes are filled with murderous fury. Viperish Night turns around and his eyes move to the Argonian that has made her way through the Reachmen to intercept him. Viperish Night tilts his head. Her scales glimmer in the lightning flashes, she's dressed as the Argonian's in the Marsh, but he remembers her from Craglorn. His Egg-Mother had mentioned her name, Softly-Speckled-Crab. Viperish Night utters a low hiss and the dead near him stir, moving closer to Viperish Night, ready to defend him.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab stops near him but makes no move to attack. She just gazes at him, her eyes taking in his measure. "Keerasi-Zish," she at last says. "I see the drop in your eyes, nearly drowned in the river you are lost in," she adds, a hint of sadness in her voice.  
Viperish Night snarls in anger. "Do not call me that. The Hist abandoned me, so I threw away the name it gave me." Viperish Night's eyes fill with icy fury and the dead edge closer to Softly-Speckled-Crab.   
Softly-Speckled-Crab ignores the dead around her, continuing to focus on Viperish Night. She had seen him with Jeziasi, right before Theodyn had gone for him. She had asked her friend to let her be the first to confront Viperish Night, but the boy...no the man he had become was filled with merciless fury and ignored her request. "Jeziasi has chosen you," Softly-Speckled-Crab says softly.  
"And the Hist you," Viperish Night hisses. Her clothes, her staff, so much about her reminded her of the Marsh and his fury grows. "I will END the Hist, as well as every last Argonian. They will regret what they have done." Viperish Night snarls.   
The sadness in Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes deepens. "We already regret it. You should have been loved." Softly-Speckled-Crab starts to say more, then stops, her head lowering slightly. She could tell him more, that the Hist weeps for what has become of him, but not a single word she has said has moved him, and nothing she says will matter to him. Only one drop in the ocean of despair he drowns in helps him. And how can that one drop make any difference at all, now? Softly-Speckled-Crab clutches her staff. "I have never killed another," she says softly. "But the Hist taught me if mercy fails, then it is a mercy to do so." Her eyes stare into his. "Will you not let the single drop save you, and put this madness aside?"  
Viperish Night hisses again. "Nothing in this world deserves mercy," he says. "I will not stop until all the living are silent, until their madness at last ends. Only the dead should be... only the dead don't scream and tear my soul asunder."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes show depths of grief briefly before hardening. "Then this is how it must be," she says as the ground rumbles at her feet and vines writhe around her feet.   
Viperish Night's claws move to his staff and he makes ready to attack, though his eyes are only halfway focused on her as he divides his attention. He needs to raise more undead.

Jeziasi howls and bounds forward once more ignoring Dawnbreaker's blazing wrath in pursuit of her prey. Theodyn leaps to the side and Dawnbreaker slashes down, cutting Jeziasi's arm deeply. She spins growling in pain and fury before slamming her arm into Theodyn sending him crashing down upon the ground. Jeziasi leaps at him and Theodyn stabs Dawnbreaker up and Jeziasi throws herself to the side, just missing the deadly strike. Theodyn is up in a moment and Dawnbreaker flashes down, cutting a long slash down Jeziasi's back. She spins and snaps jaws around Dawnbreaker, snatching it out of Theodyn's grip and into the grass nearby. Theodyn dives and his hand grabs the hilt as Jeziasi charges and slams into him again, sending him flying, Theodyn just barely managing to maintain his hold on his sword. He rises right away, and Dawnbreaker starts to glow brighter, casting his face in its cold golden light as he stares at Jeziasi's feral wolf form. The fallen Nords and Reachmen suddenly rise from their ruined flesh and their skeletons soon encircle Theodyn. 

"Got fire, give you that," Tyranius growls. "Cannot believe you're forcing me to use this. Always seems like cheating." Tyranius's scythe starts to glow icy blue and Tyranius slams it into the ground. Shards of ice shoot up and form into icy blue blades that shatter the dried lava and then shoot up to encircle Tyranius. "Try this, Dunmer," Tyranius says and the icy blades streak toward Iveryni. Iveryni raises her staff and a nova blast of fire rains down upon Tyranius and his blades. Tyranius laughs and his scythe streaks up, more blades appearing to do battle with the flames why he starts to charge Iveryni. Iveryni slams her staff down and a wall of fire encircles her and starts to move toward Tyranius, but her attention is suddenly divided as the dead around her rise and come at her from all sides. 

A deep cut on her arm has Zirasha's blood splattering the grass. But Rufico is also bleeding from a deep gash on his face. "So fast," Zirasha breaths. "I've never fought someone so fast!" Zirasha's eyes glimmer as Rufico brings his knife up and surges toward Zirasha once more. With a grin, Zirasha moves toward him, and the two dance with blades and killing intent once more. Zirasha bursts into mist and reforms next to Rufico, he spins, and her knife flashes, cutting his hand deeply and causing his knife to drop into the grass. "Now I'll taste your blood, Imperial brat," Zirasha hisses as she moves in for the kill.  
Rufico smiles, a small deadly thing and a black blade that shimmers with all the darkness of The Void appears in his hand. "Now you will know silence," Rufico hisses, but before he can spring at her the fallen dead rise and block his path. 

Softly-Speckled-Crab starts to attack, then freezes. Her eyes regard Viperish Night. "You have risen more fallen, even as we spoke," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.   
Viperish Night's eyes fill with utter ice."Your friends seek to destroy my..." Viperish Night tilts his head. What had his Egg-Mother called them? "My pack," Viperish Night finishes with an angry hiss.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab starts back. "The drop is not yet lost," Softly-Speckled-Crab says, and once more tries to speak reason to this mad lost necromancer. "Viperish Night. I can feel what the band and your necromancy does to the dead. You raise them instead of letting them rest. They anguish in this existence you grant them."  
"No, they are silent. They feel nothing." Viperish Night hisses as he steps closer to Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Their madness flees with their worthless souls."  
"Their souls are caught in Molag Bal's web. They will suffer until even their souls fade. He will have their pain, their terror, their everlasting screams." Softly-Speckled-Crab gazes at Viperish Night. "How can you want that? Can you not see this is what he wants, not you?"  
Viperish Night grips his staff tighter. "I do not care," Viperish Night snarls. "The living only gave me pain, they deserve no mercy. Let my Egg-father have them. He'll join them in their suffering after I and my Egg-mother are done with him."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab's head dips and sadness fills her eyes. Viperish Night will not be reached, and she cannot yet grant him the mercy of death, for the Reachmen have finished off the last of the Nords and they advance on the four heroes as well as the legion of the undead under Viperish Night's control. She can feel her friends being surrounded and so she places her staff on the ground and sends her intent through the living plants and grass all around her. Retreat. Softly-Speckled-Crab gazes at Viperish Night one last time. Yes... to know him is to know despair. Softly-Speckled-Crab turns as a portal opens and she enters it and it snaps shut behind her.

Theodyn backs away from Jeziasi and the undead. Softly-Speckled-Crab...is right. This was always meant to be a test of their enemies' strength. Theodyn sheaths Dawnbreaker. "You are wrong," he tells Jeziasi. "You should of put a dagger in his back. It would not have saved you from Meridia's Judgment, but it may have eased it." Golden light engulfs Theodyn and he fades from the Battlefield, Jeziasi's angry roar echoing in his ears.  
Iveryni snaps a portal open and stares at Tyranius. "Next time the fires of a new dawn will destroy you, and your master," Iveryni promises as she turns and walks through the portal.  
"Just try it," Tyranius says with a laugh as the portal closes.  
The blade of Woe vanishes and Rufico steps backward. "Playtime's over," Rufico says. "Next time, I'll send you to the Void." A black portal opens and Rufico vanishes into it.  
Zirasha smiles. He was so fast. "Next time, I'm going to bite him," Zirasha says to herself. "I wonder what a Dark Brotherhood's blood tastes like."  
A cheer from the Reachmen echos to the sky as they clear and the stars and full moon's light shines down upon the blood-soaked battlefield. Viperish Night pushes Softly-Spoken-Crab's words form his head as he glances around with a glimmer of worry in his eyes. The Devourer of Khajiit roars and the vines burst into flame and he shakes their ash from his fur. "She is fine, nearby yes." The Devourer of Khajiits tells Viperish Night.   
Viperish Night turns his gaze on the strange Khajiit as Zirasha appears from mist. She gazes at the Khajiit in rapt fascination. "He hates his race," she breaths. "I can see it in his eyes." Viperish Night glances at Zirasha, noticing the cuts on her face and hands, the way her eyes gleam as if she had the time of her life. She laughs at his gaze. "The Imperial is not a little brat anymore," Zirasha says. "He's as fast as me! I want to drink his blood! Every last dark drop of it." She spins around and then looks at The Devourer of Khajiits again. "Can we keep the kitty?" she asks.  
The Devourer of Khajiits growls a warning deep in his throat. "This one's place is with his clan Storm Claws." he rumbles as he moves away to find his clan.  
"Best take that as a no, girl," Tyranius says as he moves to the group. His armor is cracked and his boots are near destroyed. At Viperish Night's look, Tyranius just shrugs. "It will fix itself in time. Damn though, fighting another Daedric Prince's champion? YES!" Tyranius says with a laugh. Before Viperish Night can comment Jeziasi bounds in, still in werewolf form. Viperish Night looks up at her as do Zirasha and Tyranius. Tyranius laughs. "Looks like you got your fur back, wolfy."  
Zirasha suddenly hisses as Swims-In-Silence steps from the shadows of a large group of rocks and stalks toward him. Viperish Night narrows his eyes hissing. He had not even known his Egg-Father was here this time.  
"Prince," Tyranius says and Zirasha crosses her arms following Swims-In-Silence with her eyes.  
Swims-In-Silence moves past him to stand in front of Jeziasi. Jeziasi stares down at him. The urge to pounce, to rend and feast was overwhelming and her blood screams at her. Only sheer force of will keeps her from attempting to tear him apart. His eyes, he showed no worry that Viperish Night or her would attack and kill him. What did he know that they failed to realize?  
Swims-In-Silence's eyes are filled with icy awareness. "Your pet is off her leash," Swims-In-Silence hisses.  
Viperish Night tenses as his eyes move to Jeziasi. Jeziasi meets his gaze and fights her instincts with all she is, finally dropping on all fours and moving to Viperish Night to lie in submission at his feet. Viperish Night glances at a nearby Reachmen. "Bring me some kind of collar. My pet accidentally broke her last one," Viperish Night orders him. The Reachmen leaves and returns with a twisted bit of metal. Viperish Night takes it and crouches by Jeziasi, who lowers her head, allowing Viperish Night access. Viperish Night wraps it around her neck and then snaps the chain on before rising, the lead in his hands. "You were saying?" Viperish Night says as he motions to his dead so they can hide and wait until they are needed again.   
Swims-In-Silence laughs. "To have Hircine's champion on a leash...even I am surprised at her submission and loyalty to you." His gaze turns back to Jeziasi as Chieftain Dravrefe approaches.  
Viperish Night turns to Chieftain Dravrefe. "You took our dead," Chieftain Dravrefe says with an angry snap.  
Viperish Night tilts his head. "I never promised to leave them be. All the dead rise for my army." Viperish Night smiles, showing many fangs. "Do you intend to fight me over it? There are more dead than Reachmen, right now."   
Chieftain Dravrefe stares at Viperish Night for long moments before turning. "We will remember this," Chieftain Dravrefe says. "But for now...and for the coming days The Clans of the Reach will be at your call again." He turns and then looks back. "You gave us Nord's to kill. We will gather our spoils and head home." Chieftain Dravrefe moves to his clan.  
Viperish Night looks at his pack. "We will return now," Viperish Night starts to say.  
"Wait," Zirasha says. "I need to do something first." Zirasha mists away before anyone can ask, what it is she needs to do.

Zirasha reforms near Fasi, who's crouched by a house in Karthwatch. Zirasha studies the woman. She's not much older than Zirasha is, and forever will be. "Are you sure?" Zirasha quietly asks. Back at The Reach Zirasha had seen the naked desire in Fasi's eyes for what Zirasha had. "I think vampires end up in Coldharbour when they die," she adds, even softer.   
Fasi nods. "I have little aptitude for our kind of magic, even less as a warrior. I want to serve my clan, more than the little I do now. I want this," Fasi says firmly. "I want to be one with the primal life force. This is how I can serve my clan. How I can be strong." Fasi kneels. "Please. My brother is near and has agreed to look after me until I have the hunger under control so I will not hurt my clan."  
Zirasha looks down at Fasi. She has never turned anyone before, not on purpose. Those she has attacked with fangs have died, for that was her soul intent. Zirasha kneels beside Fasi and takes her arm gently in her hands. "It is being a monster," Zirasha says. "But also freedom. It freed me from my fear when nothing else could." Zirasha lowers her mouth to Fasi's wrist and bites. Fasi stifles a gasp of pain and Zirasha drains her, stopping only when she is sure the infection has taken hold. Fasi goes limp and Zirasha picks her up and turns to see a Reachmen approaching, his eyes on his sister. Zirasha brings Fasi to him, laying her in his arms. "Chains work," Zirasha says. "Control is needed, bring her people to devour until then." Fasi's brother nods silently and walks away with her.  
Zirasha mists back to Viperish Night's side. "Let's go home," Zirasha says, wiping the blood from the side of her mouth. Viperish Night tilts his head in a moment of curiosity, before turning to open the portal to return them home.


	63. Act 4 - Aftermath

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Once back in the throne room Zirasha moves for the door and heads out into the snow and after a few moments, Tyranius follows. Jeziasi watches them go, before moving to Viperish Night who has settled in his throne and lies at his feet, her head on her paws. She growls softly as Swims-in-Silence approaches her. "No biting, pet." Viperish Night reminds her, though his eyes stay narrowed in anger at Swims-in-Silence. "Remember, she is my pet," Viperish Night warns.  
Swims-in-Silence crouches by Jeziasi's side and touches her fur. "It has been a while since I've seen you in fur," Swims-in-Silence hisses. "And still you submit to our son even as this." Swims-in-Silence laughs. "You have gotten good at submitting." Jeziasi's growl reverberates through her werewolf form, her claws scratch the stone but she stays lying down. Swims-in-Silence tilts his head toward Viperish Night. "She still hates me. Do you hate me still?" he asks. Viperish Night's eyes fill with rage and hate and he just hisses at Swims-in-Silence. Swims-in-Silence laughs again and stands, turning to go. His portal opens and he glances back, a feral grin crossing his face. "The heroes have returned. They know the truth, I can see it in your eyes, my mate. They will tell your kitty. Your former allies. And they will tell the world. Everyone will know that you submitted to me."  
"Enough!" Viperish Night snaps as Jeziasi shudders and starts to rise. Viperish Night places a clawed hand on her back. "Stay," he says softly. She growls, sending baleful eyes full of hate at Swims-in-Silence. "You seem to want her to bite you," Viperish Night says. Swims-in-Silence turns his head back to the portal and just laughs as he passes through.  
Viperish Night stands and tugs on the leash. "Come, pet." Viperish Night says and leads Jeziasi out of the throne room. Once they are near her room, he quickly takes the improvised collar from her neck, and Jeziasi shifts back and turns to Viperish Night. His eyes are stormy tonight, more so than usual. "...That Argonian is of the Hist," Viperish Night hisses. "She dared try to shift my river. As if she or the Hist can make up for the pain they caused me. Cast me from their river, for what I could not control. She even dared call me by THAT name. I threw it away, as the Hist threw me away."  
Jeziasi moves closer. "Viperish Night... will you tell me?" At his glare, she takes his hand in her own. "I want to know what they called my son when he was hatched. I will never call you that, Viperish Night. Never. I just want to know."  
Viperish Night gazes into her eyes. "Keerasi-Zish," he finally says. "But it is of the past. It is not who I am."'  
Jeziasi quietly nods. "I am not what I once was either..." she trails off. "They have come for us at last. They will be at every battle if they can. They will come at us with no mercy, and full intent to kill." Jeziasi thinks back on the battle. How different Theodyn was. She had not known him for long, but she knew he was gentle, kind. This Theodyn was cold, merciless. What had Meridia done to him? Jeziasi closes her eyes as a shudder passes through her. She could not kill her son, so they had to become something perhaps akin to monsters to fight the monsters.  
"Egg-Mother?" Viperish Night says. Jeziasi opens her eyes and blinks a few times as the world seems to spin. Her eyes flicker closed and she can feel Viperish Night's hands grip her arms as she sways and nearly falls. The events of the night swirl all around her. Such chaos and death. Coming face to face with one of the four heroes she knew, the things Theodyn had said. Her failures, so very many. Failed to see Swims-In-Silences truth. Failed to steer her son off his course of madness. And even with all the failures, Hircine still returned her wolf to her. And yet, she still had to submit and endure what she must, for they are still missing something. The world seems to roar and Jeziasi straightens up and starts to back away from Viperish Night until she hits the wall. "Egg-Mother?" Viperish Night asks again sounding distressed.  
Jeziasi focuses on her son's eyes. She can still see what she swam towards in those eyes. Nearly lost in the depths of death and madness. She will not be able to save him, no matter what she does. This will never ever end well. Jeziasi moves toward Viperish Night and rests her head against his, shaking uncontrollably. "I cannot save you," Jeziasi whispers. "You do not even want to be saved. You don't even think you deserve it." Jeziasi wraps her arms around Viperish Night and he nearly starts back before leaning into her and finally wrapping his arms around her as well, tremors coursing through him.  
"Egg-Mother, please," Viperish Night says with a broken hiss. "You cannot think I deserve anything. I am a monster, it's the only thing I know of to be, the only thing that makes sense. The only way the world cannot hurt me. I deserve nothing."  
"Perhaps neither of us deserve saving," Jeziasi whispers. "But you're wrong. You deserve to be loved."  
"No..." Viperish Night tries to say, but Jeziasi interrupts him.  
"Yes," Jeziasi says. "And I was not the only one in your life to think so."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. One other had loved him, thought him worth loving despite it all. "Egg-Mother, you undo me," Viperish Night says. "I cannot change the river any longer. Any other path would torture me beyond the brink of madness. There is the only agony outside the river. I cannot bear it."  
Jeziasi moves her hand to his face. "I'll ask but once, my son. Is there any way to change this?" she asks, her eyes staring deep within his own.  
Viperish Night stills. "I drown, Egg-Mother. I cannot breathe, cannot be why they scream in my head. A clammer of the living, clawing at my soul." Viperish Night pulls back and once more grips Jeziasi's arms with his claws. "I am lost and there is no way out. The only path I see is death. Only its silence calms me, makes the torture stop. They deserve no mercy. They will get no mercy." Viperish Night stares back at Jeziasi, deep within their depths is madness, pain and despair, and icy darkness, but also fear. Such fear that she will turn from him, for he cannot change his course.  
"I will follow you into Oblivion if I must," Jeziasi says. "Nothing will change that. The only way I will leave your side is if I die. I love you, and I will love you until the end." She stares up at him, tears in her eyes. "You know the ways this will end. It was never going to be a happy ending."  
"How can you love me?" Viperish Night rasps as he lowers his head. "You should not love me. Am I not just a monster, just an abomination."  
Not a question, it is what he thinks he is. "Viperish Night," Jeziasi whispers, unable to keep the pain from her voice. "How can I not? I am your Egg-Mother, and for most of your life I never even knew it. Now that I do, I can only love you. Even if you continue in this river, and you will, won't you." Not a question either. Just truth that cannot be denied.  
Viperish Night is silent for a moment before continuing. "I only know despair, Egg-mother," Viperish Night says. "Death keeps it from overwhelming me. Death quiets the pain that threatens to destroy me."  
"Death also draws you closer to him. Just remember that. Stay your own master," Jeziasi says.  
Viperish Night lowers his head. "I hate him. Hate enough to drown him in it. He will not get either of us. I promise we will hunt and kill him. I will bath Nirn in his blood for both of us." Viperish Night's hands fall from Jeziasi's arms and he looks at her one last time before turning and walking away.  
Jeziasi watches him walk away. What she has swum so deep for is still in his eyes. She will not swim to the surface, she will drown in his river with him, since she cannot save him. Jeziasi turns and heads into her room.

Zirasha wanders out in the snow, her thoughts seem to consume her this night. She finds her way to the skeleton dragon and leaps onto its mound and rests between its claws, staring out at the predawn night. Tyranius finds her like this awhile later, his armor off for repair. Tyranius studies her. "You turned someone, girl." he, at last, says, breaking the silence.  
"She wanted it," Zirasha says. "She knew the cost..." Zirasha trails off, her thoughts returning to what had been bothering her this night. Tyranius just leans against the mound and waits for her to continue. "I love it," Zirasha says. "But Swims-In-Silence never asked me first. Just promised a way to make the fear vanish forever."  
"Bargaining with Princes always works like that, girl." Tyranius says. "they are never upfront with us mortals. He danged a carrot in front of your face. One you could not resist." Tyranius shrugs. "Did the same to me. Power was my carrot. Did not like I had to kneel for it, though." Tyranius falls silent, an odd look crossing his face.  
Zirasha notices and hisses. "Brute?" she asks, followed by, "Tyranius?"  
"Damn," Tyranius breaths. "Have to tell pup." At Zirasha's confused look Tyranius adds, "That's why we can't spring on Swims-In-Silence. Us four are enough to take him out but..."  
"But?" Zirasha says.  
"What if he can take control of the dead from pup?" Tyranius says with a dark look in his eyes. "What if he can control you because he made you? Me because I'm his champion? Pup cause he's his son?"  
Zirasha sits straight up. "Tyranius, do not say that!" She hisses angrily. "That can't be true. He could do anything to us if that was true!"  
"Why else would Pup and Wolfy hesitate? They knew something was missing. This, this might be it." Tyranius says.  
"Bastard set us up," Zirasha says, her fingers curling around the dragon's claw.  
"Still a chance," Tyranius says. "Catch him unawares. Might be enough. If pup can get Swims-In-Silence to think he's his, that wolfy will never so much as disobey her son, might be able to pull it off." Tyranius looks at Zirasha. "Has to look real. I'll talk to the pup, you talk to wolfy later."  
Zirasha's fingers grip the dragon's claw tighter. "What if it becomes real, Tyranius? Viperish Night... he's more lost in the dark than me," she asks.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Pup's the boss. Real or not, follow him till the end, no matter what end that is," he answers.  
Zirasha hisses again. "I should not trust a brute imperial like you. But..." Zirasha's eyes lock onto his. "We are pack," she says.  
Tyranius laughs. "Long as I don't have to kneel to Hircine, fine by me girl."

Tired in every way, Jeziasi cannot do anything once back in her room but fall into a deep sleep despite her fear of what dreams may bring.  
_Soft grass, the sounds and smells of the forest greets her as Jeziasi sits up. Hircine had brought her here a few times this past week, giving her much needed peace and rest. This time, he is here though, again in his Arawn form. "My champion," Hircine greets her with a smile. "Your hunt with Meridia's champion amused me."  
"My Prince," Jeziasi says, and then frowns slightly. "I did not think..." she trails off.  
"It was time, and it will further deepen the illusion you and your son have set into place," Hircine tells her.  
"I could have sprung on Swims-In-Silence tonight," Jeziasi says with a growl. "He was right in front of me, my jaws..." Jeziasi trails off at Hircine's disapproving look.  
"Jeziasi, you have not attacked because of your instincts. Do you not see what they are telling you?" Hircine lectors.  
"To wait," Jeziasi answers. "To stalk him and continue to stalk him. But I do not know why."  
"You do," Hircine says as he regards her. "You have developed a near-fatal flaw since you first became my wolf. You see what is in front of you, but some part of you fails to see the truth of it. You must overcome this. You know what it already has cost you. Jeziasi, look at your pack. You see them as that, and that is what they want to be. But what links all of you?"  
Sees things...as she wants them to be. As what they want to be. Is that the way of it? Why she failed to see Swims-In-Silence's truth? A chill runs down her spine. "...Molag Bal," Jeziasi whispers. He is the one to create them all. Tyranius is his champion. Zirasha was gifted to be an original. Her son... "He can control them." Jeziasi whispers. "If I strike now I may find my pack with their fangs against my throat even if they do not wish it."  
"They may yet be strong enough to resist. But if not the hunt fails," Hircine says.  
Jeziasi falls silent, complementing. "How far am I going to have to take this deception?" she whispers. How far can she stand it?  
"You know the answer to that, too," Hircine tells her. "This is a dangerous hunt. If your son falls under Molag Bal's sway, it may be lost."  
Jeziasi growls softly. "Even then, I will not kill my son, Hircine."  
"A mother wolf's devotion knows no bounds. This, I understand. But if the hunt fails and you follow Viperish Night into the depths of Coldharbour, I will strip all I have bestowed upon you and the Wild Hunt will come for you." Hircine says, as a shimmer of his true form can be seen. Jeziasi lowers her head and is silent. She will hunt Swims-In-Silence, but if Viperish Night falls if she cannot keep him from his Egg-father's grasp...she can make no promises to her Prince. "Jeziasi," Hircine says, and she looks back up at him. "One more thing you must know."  
Something in his eyes chills Jeziasi to the bone. "I do not want to know this, do I?" she whispers. "But I must, so tell me, my Prince."  
"You regain your strength," Hircine says. "You already know you let yourself be hunted, I say this not to further hurt you, but because I do not think you know this," he pauses, searching Jeziasi's eyes before continuing. "You bonded with Swims-in-Silence, do you still think this was a normal Argonian bonding?"  
Jeziasi's eyes flare and a chill runs down her spine. Her mind flashes back on those hated memories. The nights her instincts screamed at her, tried to wake her up from the dream she had thrown herself into. And each and every time that happened, Swims-In-Silence would touch her so gently and whisper a single word, sleep. And she had slept, and her instincts had quieted. "I..." she trails off as words fail.  
"You willingly went with him, willingly bonded with him, let yourself be hunted, let yourself be leashed," Hircine says, a hint of anger in his voice. "But you would have woken yourself up, my champion. It would have taken you a few days, perhaps a week. But you would have known his truth and snapped your fangs around his throat."  
The truth of it flows through Jeziasi. She thought herself utterly to blame for this. All of this, and she was in a large part. But this... "He knew I would realize the truth, sooner or later. And it would be too soon for his plans to be finished. He needed to bind me, leash me. And he needed me to agree to it." Jeziasi gets up and nearly slams her fist into a tree before stopping herself, instead just resting her hands against it, breathing raggedly. "Tyranius was right. I do need to stop blaming myself for all of this," Jeziasi whispers.  
Hircine rises and moves closer to her. "You were caught in a trap by a Daedric Prince, my wolf. If you think yourself solely to blame for that, and all that comes after..."  
"I am a fool," Jeziasi finishes. "I do not wish to be that, my Prince." she turns and looks at him. "I am still bonded to that monster. Can he control me, still?"  
"No," Hircine says. "You took back your strength, and you are now my champion. You can fight and break free of any order he tries to give you."  
His eyes, so serious. Jeziasi reads the truth in them. "But if I am Viperish Night's loyal wolf, then I should not have that kind of strength. If I am submissive to my son."  
"If he tries, he shows his hand," Hircine says. "But if you resist, you show yours. You walk a dangerous line now. But you know the truth of it."  
Jeziasi represses a shudder. "I understand. Prince Hircine, how do I break this bonding? I know I must wait, but when the hunt begins?"  
"Killing Swims-In-Silence will break it," Hircine says. "He bonded you in mortal form, so all you have to do is take his mortal life. Be strong, my wolf. The coming days will test you, and Viperish Night."  
The forest and Hircine fades.  
_

Tyranius stops by Viperish Night's room and leans against the wall outside of it. "Pup, talk to you?" he asks.  
Viperish Night raises his head. He's sitting on the ground trying to calm his thoughts, emotions. Seeing his Egg-mother so upset had shaken him. He could not, would not stop but her tears stung him like acid... and the fact that she would stay with him, love him... "Yes," Viperish Night softly hisses.  
Tyranius enters, glancing around once before leaning against the wall arms crossed. Viperish Night looks up at Tyranius. The brutal Imperial, champion of Molag Bal, now content to serve him. Viperish Night tilts his head. "Why?" he asks curiously.  
Tyranius studies him. "I may be a brute, but I know what commanders should be. They should be down in the mud and filth with their men. Sure, Mannimarco gave me rank and command and Molag Bal gave me power, but they kept out of the mud for the most part. You don't, and you could easily." Tyranius smirks. "You like being in the mud and blood, same as us."  
Viperish Night laughs. "Once, perhaps not. When one becomes a monster, the horrific becomes something altogether different. Darkness seems to be joy, in a fashion." Viperish Night falls silent, thinking. "I wish Egg-Mother could embrace this truth faster. Her pain would lessen."  
"But not stop," Tyranius says as his eyes look at the claw marks in the walls. "Pup, you and Zirasha are different than me. I always was a savage brute, never once questioned it, never once did I feel bad about anything I've done." Tyranius shrugs.  
"And us?" Viperish Night asks.  
"You know that, Viperish Night." Tyranius answers. "What I know of Zirasha and you, both of you could have gone the other way. Damn world, damn people forced you this way. Your both monsters now. Both know to revel in it is to eclipse your pain, for a while. Always seeking the day the pain is gone."  
"More than just a brute," Viperish Night hisses.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Highborn Imperial family. Learned to use brain as well as brawn." Tyranius looks down at Viperish Night. "You know the day the pain is gone is the day you lose the part of you that your Egg-mother sees right?"  
Viperish Night's hiss turns angry. "She will still stay. Still love me."  
"Pup, it's good either way with me," Tyranius says. "But will you still care about any of that, then?" Viperish Night narrows his eyes and Tyranius continues. "Drown everything but the darkness if you want pup. Just saying, she'll drown herself with you."  
Viperish Night closes his eyes. "What do you want?" he asks.  
"Think I know Swims-In-Silence's secret, pup," Tyranius says. "You are not going to like it."  
Tyranius leaves Viperish Night's room a few minutes after, Viperish Night's enraged howl following him as he walks to his room. "Damn it, that could have gone better," Tyranius says.

-Elden Root-  
Iveryni watches Theodyn pace back and forth in the meeting room. It seems like a lifetime since they last were here, all together. Softly-Spoken-Crab is sitting on the floor with her staff across her lap. Rufico is leaning against the wall, so silent he seems not to be there. Iveryni finally sits down at the table as they await Razum-dar, and her eyes close, her hand moving to her neck and the scars that linger there.  
After the flames engulfed her, after they purified her of any remaining weakness, Iveryni was drawn back to her body and it was a violent reentry. The fire endowed in her soul allowed her body to return to functionality, though she nearly set the room on fire in the process, and terrifying the healer Iriea quite badly. When Iveryni was aligned with her body once more and able to call back the flames, she found herself as she had been in the Deadlands. Older, stronger. How long had passed in Oblivion? Two, perhaps three years. Iveryni opens her eyes again to regard her companions, she saw it had been the same for them as well. Just over six months had passed on Nirn, but the four had traveled beyond that. 

Rufico studies his friends with small movements of his eyes. How much time had passed in The Void...time seemed meaningless there. His training had intensified in that place, though now back on Nirn some of his memories of The Void seemed to elude him, like a barely remembered dream. The Void was death, beyond death, and yet he was alive there. The beginning, the end, more than a mortal mind should be able to handle. Rufico had struggled at first until he had become accustomed to it. The shadows beyond reaching, an awareness of Sithis who loomed ever present. Sithis was The Void, and The Void was Sithis. Whispers in the dark from the Night Mother and those brothers and sisters that had joined The Void. Rufico had trained with many, and after they had melted back into the inky darkness. Perhaps they were The Void and Sithis as well. Such would be Rufico's fate, one day. The Void had taught him much, showed him much. It even showed him Jeziasi, when she had been one of the Dark Brotherhood. Strange to think of the hero of Nirn doing such a thing. A murder in a church, carrying out the Dark Brotherhood's will. She sought control, for the wolf had briefly overcome her.  
Rufico pulls out of his thoughts, again focusing on his friends. The cool collected Iveryni now seemed wild and untamed like a forest fire, even in silence. Softly-Spoken-Crab, calm as she had always been, but with a spine of steel now. He saw she chose not to kill the Reachmen but felt that she would do so without hesitation when she needed to. And Theodyn... Rufico frowns. His friend had walked down the path of light, but he seemed so cold for it, so unforgiving.

Softly-Speckled-Crab meditates, delighted to feel the Valenwood gain. In the roots, in a place between time, she had trained with those The Hist brought her from times long since past. Illusions or actuality? Softly-Speckled-Crab still did not know. It had been a dreamlike state much as Azura's communications in the past to her had been. Softly-Speckled-Crab had trained with Argonians, Wyrd Sisters, Bosmer. Life magic grew within Softly-Speckled-Crab and she strove to feel the force of it. The beauty and the inevitability, for all, returned to the marsh in time. Softly-Speckled-Crab could feel the great Elden Root tree, and through it her dear friends. Iveryni felt of newly born fire, Rufico of the beginning and the end, Theodyn like icy cold light. Softly-Speckled-Crab frowns slightly. She had felt Viperish Night as well. She had needed to speak to him, to feel him. He felt like icy death, but the smallest seed of his life magic still was buried under the river. Kept alive by Jeziasi who felt like life and fire combined. Softly-Speckled-Crab's spine hurt for Jeziasi. Being so close to the icy darkness would in time diminish her fire, and yet she still swam in the icy river for her son, for the impossibility of saving him, for after speaking to Viperish Night, Softly-Speckled-Crab knew that mercy would have to be bestowed upon him, to end this horror. He could never return to the marsh even in death, for the Daedric corruption was so much a part of him.

Theodyn talks around the room, finally sitting in a chair at the table. He can feel the eyes of his friends as they regard him, regard each other. Attempting to see who they once knew into who they were now. Theodyn tries to calm his emotions. He did not expect such fury at Jeziasi, standing at the necromancer's side. How could she? She was the Vestige! She was to protect Nirn, and instead, she was on Viperish Night's side. On Molag Bal's side. Theodyn's eyes tighten. He would put an end to her...or nearly. Then deliver her to his Prince, and that would be after he killed her abomination of a son. At the back of his mind, Theodyn knew his thoughts were somewhat harsh. He had felt sorry for Jeziasi, once. Even for Viperish Night. But he had stepped into the water and Meridia's light engulfed him, burning away any such mercy. Theodyn frowns. He had seen another man in the light, briefly. Meridia's former champion, Darien. He had told Theodyn to keep his mercy and kindness, not to let the light burn it away. That Jeziasi was worth it, despite it all. But the light had swept him away and Theodyn's kindness and mercy as well.

Razum-dar walks to the meeting room and stops outside of it, placing a paw on the door. He had been notified when they had arrived, been told that they had done battle with Viperish Night in Skyrim. Razum-dar's thoughts turn to her for a moment before he pushes them aside and enters. Four sets of eyes fall upon Razum-dar and Razum-dar regards each of the heroes in turn. All appear older, and so very different. Where there had been untested young adults now stood battle-tested warriors, heroes, just as Jeziasi had been, once. How would this war change these four? Damage them?  
Theodyn is the first to speak. "Did you know?" he asks Razum-dar.  
Razum-dar feels old all of a sudden and he leans against the wall and crosses his arms. "This one found out a week ago." Razum-dar's nose is still tender from Jeziasi's vicious punch.  
"What happened, Razum-dar?" Iveryni asks.  
"We seek to know the why of it," Softly-Speckled-Crab adds.  
Razum-dar is silent for a moment before speaking. "After Craglorn Queen Ayrenn determined she was guilty of treason, she was imprisoned deep in Elden Root. Viperish Night's former mentor abducted her months ago." Razum-dar growls low in his throat. "This one had his eyes out for where he took her, but nothing until the battle at Greenshade."  
"So you know only that?" Theodyn asks. "All this time, you never uncovered the full truth behind all of this?"  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves from the floor to Theodyn's side. "Theodyn," she says softly.  
Theodyn looks sharply at her. "He needs to know," Theodyn says.  
"Not the way you were about to tell him," Softly-Speckled-Crab says as she looks deeply at him. "Is there no kindness left in you? You were the kindest of all of us," she says.  
Theodyn's look goes colder. "Kindness is just a weakness now. We are at war for all of Nirn."  
Razum-dar moves from the wall and stalks to the table. "This one is used to harsh truths. Razum-dar is the Queen's Eye. Speak," Razum-dar says.  
Iveryni rises and holds up her hand before anyone can speak. She turns to Razum-dar. "Razum-dar, you turned up nothing on Swims-In-Silence, or Viperish Night's former mentor, in all this time?"  
Razum-dar shakes his head. "Not for lack of trying. This one should have found something. Where Viperish Night is at the very least! Nothing, it is as if something blocks Razum-dar's eyes." Razum-dar growls frustrated.  
Rufico raises his head to focus on Razum-dar. "Stalks-In-Darkness was a loyal member of the Dark Brotherhood. He would not have done this." Rufico's eyes darken. "His soul was destroyed by the one who did."  
Razum-dar turns his eyes onto Rufico. "This one is not liking where this is going. Continue, yes?"  
Iveryni moves closer to Razum-dar. "Razum-dar, Viperish Night was taught by Mannimarco," she says.  
Razum-dar's eyes move to her. "This one thought him imprisoned in Coldharbour.  
"Yes, he aids his Prince again," Iveryni says, "And Molag Bal is the one that destroyed Swims-In-Darkness's soul to inhabit his body, to take mortal form for his plans."  
Razum-dar goes utterly still.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab quietly adds, "He... went after the Vestige on purpose, after Jeziasi on purpose."  
"The Vestige should have known," Theodyn says angrily. "She let him defile her and cause all this."  
"Theodyn!" Iveryni snaps.  
A growl builds in Razum-dar's throat and he suddenly snarls and flips the table, it crashes into the wall and Theodyn barely manages to jump up in time. Razum-dar turns and stalks to the door. "This one will have to inform his Queen of this."  
"Razum-dar," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "If you do that, everyone will know this truth."  
"This one painfully knows that." Razum-dar snarls. "This one's duty is clear. Everyone who fights in this war needs to know the full scope of what we are dealing with." Razum-dar's eyes close briefly before he snaps them open and stalks out.  
Iveryni turns her fiery gaze upon Theodyn. "Unnecessary!" she snaps, as the markings on her face start to glow.  
Theodyn stalks closer to Iveryni. "The Vestige is at fault! She does not get to get away with this!" Theodyn snaps back as his hand drifts toward Dawnbreaker's hilt.  
Rufico's eyes follow Iveryni and Theodyn, both filled with fury and glowing with Daedric energy. A scuffle between them... Rufico smirks. "At fault for sleeping with a Prince," Rufico says as he moves from the wall closer to Iveryni and Theodyn. "Would not mind being at fault of that, long as it was Meridia."  
Theodyn turns on Rufico and his fist flies, slamming into Rufico's face and sends him crashing to the floor. "Never say that about my Prince!" Theodyn snaps as he turns and stalks out of the room.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab regards Rufico seriously. "You provoked him on purpose. Did not move out of the way on purpose." Softly-Speckled-Crab observes. "You stopped the fight with that."  
Rufico rubs his cheek and shrugs as he gets up. "He needed a reminder of who we used to be," Rufico says softly.  
"We are not that any longer!" Iveryni snaps, and then at last quits. "I used to be so composed. Now?" Iveryni smiles. "The fire burns hot, as do I." She takes a deep breath. "You don't throw idiotic jokes like that around anymore," Iveryni notes.  
Rufico's expression turns cold. "No. It was just a defense for when I was too useless to do anything." Rufico moves to the door and looks back. "We'll have to find out his next target. Only because a Brotherhood assassin was after a Reachmen, did I know of this." he turns and walks out.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to leave as well. "I will speak to the Wyrd. I know how nature speaks now, perhaps it will tell us," she says as she leaves Iveryni alone.


	64. Act 4 - Outfoxed

Viperish Night shivers, cold wracking his spine. He had howled at Tyranius until he left, then howled at Nirn, his claws scratching new rends in the stone until they bled. Only then did he fall to the floor, quickly curling into a ball shaking until sleep came for him.  
 _Viperish Night's eyes open, and an eerie ethereal pool of blue greets him as he sits up and looks around. The air is frigid, soul-deep and Viperish Night suddenly leaps up with an angry snarl. "How dare you use this on me, again." Viperish Night hisses. Viperish Night's eyes glow and the dream starts to shimmer, on the verge of breaking.  
"Would you shatter the dream before I speak to you?" Swims-In-Silence says as he moves from the shadows to stand by the pool, his eyes focused on Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night starts to snarl yes, but something stops him. A thought, horrific and he steps toward his Egg-father, who stares at him with a baleful gaze and a twisted grin. Those eyes...such unfathomable evil. Had Swims-In-Silence used this on his Egg-mother? Horror creeps down Viperish Night's spine but Tyranius's words also echo. This monster in mortal form cannot have the power over them he seems to think he has. Viperish Night tilts his head and stalks closer to his Egg-father. "You have not been playing with my pet behind my back, have you?" Viperish Night softly hisses.  
"And if I have?" Swims-In-Silence says, and at Viperish Night's furious hiss Swims-In-Silence laughs. "She would tell you if I had, surely."  
"What do you want?" Viperish Night says.  
Swims-In-Silence runs his eyes down Viperish Night, halting on his bloody claws. "Is this what you want? To be in such agony every moment of the day?"   
Viperish Night curls his claws. "The living is the cause. The pain will end when they end."  
"Such a slow process," Swims-In-Silence says and holds out his hand. "Would it not be easier to accept your Daedric side, embrace it? Throw away the last remnants of weakness that plague you?" he asks. At Viperish Night's venomous look he adds, "You will not lose anything, your pet will stay with you, won't she?"  
Chills once more run down Viperish Night's spine. Her words come back to him, Tyranius's as well. She said she would follow him into Oblivion. Tyranius said she would drown for him. Even if he gave himself over to his Egg-Father...Molag Bal. Viperish Night hisses. "Never, Egg-father. I will kill you in whatever way I can."  
Swims-In-Silence's eyes narrow. "It is your weakness that holds you back, causes you pain. Your river will drown it in time. The end result will be the same, you will walk with me. How much agony you put yourself through is up to you." He laughs as the dream fades. _

Jeziasi slowly wakes, feeling rested for the first time in a long time...and somehow lighter. Jeziasi sits up and when Zirasha insists on brushing her hair, she lets her.   
"Jeziasi," Zirasha says. "That brute figured something out last night." She had come to tell Jeziasi but found her in sleep, and for once it seemed peaceful. So Zirasha had just curled up by her and went to sleep as well.  
Jeziasi's eye moves to Zirasha as Zirasha braids her hair. "I know," Jeziasi says softly. "Hircine told me." Jeziasi swallows softly. "I thought I was a fool not just for going with him but staying with him so long. Turns out I was just a fool for the first part. He bound me, controlled me. When he told me to sleep, it caused my instincts to sleep. So I would not wake to the truth."   
Zirasha growls softly. "He forced you then, in a way. If he had not quieted your instincts...you never would have continued to..." Zirasha shakes softly.  
The truth slowly dawns on Jeziasi and she turns to Zirasha. "You are always saying being a vampire took away your fear, but not why you were so afraid. Someone..." Jeziasi trails off.  
"Someones," Zirasha said softly, fangs glimmering. "Tyranius brought me every single one of them. Let me end them so very painfully. It's why I don't mind the brute, despite being an Imperial, a Zero Legion. He's not like the ones that hurt me." Zirasha's eyes glimmer. "I would threaten to bite you know if you told anyone I said anything about this. But you won't. So I'll just finish with your hair. If you turn around." Zirasha adds a hiss and Jeziasi turns to let her finish.  
"Is that why you stayed here with me?" Jeziasi whispers. "When I was lost?"  
"Maybe I just like smelling werewolf blood when I sleep," Zirasha says as she finishes with Jeziasi's hair. "I did not know your truth. I just...felt kinship with you, somehow."   
Jeziasi turns back to Zirasha, in her old life if she had come across her it would have ended in bloody battle. Jeziasi had fought against many hunters, many who preyed on the sheep, on Nirn. But now... "We are pack," Jeziasi says. "Everything that happened is a nightmare, but..." Jeziasi trails off, her son is worth it, and so is her pack. It confuses her, for she has joined those who are everything she used to war against for Nirn.   
"Not used to being on the other side," Zirasha teases as she gets up and moves to the entryway, poking the improvised collar and chain hanging there. "I thought I would be afraid forever, alone forever. I'm not."   
Jeziasi rises. "I've been alone most of my life too. I thought I should be. The few times I tried another way, I lost. And then it became normal." Jeziasi trails off and glances at the chain.   
Zirasha hisses. "Do we have to? This is barbaric. Even Tyranius does not want to lead you around like a dog anymore." Zirasha complains.  
"I think we may be strong enough to resist him," Jeziasi says. "Our loyalty is to each other, it makes us strong. But... we have to be sure. We'll keep playing this game."  
Zirasha takes the chain down and hisses at it. "I'm going to find a way to test him, without giving anything away. I'll spring at him when I see an opening and we'll see how far this control goes." At Jeziasi's startled look Zirasha bares fangs. "Do not argue with me! I bite! And you bite too so we would be covered in bites when we meet the boys. Do you want that?"  
Jeziasi laughs. "No biting. And don't worry. I'll make this easy on you." Jeziasi says as she starts to transform, becoming the werewolf. She towers over Zirasha for a moment before dropping on all fours and slinking to her.   
"Suppose that's one way," Zirasha says as she puts the collar around Jeziasi's furry neck. "Still barbaric. But makes more sense keeping a wolf as a pet than a mer." She leads Jeziasi out to the throne room.

Viperish Night sits on the throne, his claws scouring against it as he thinks of Swims-In-Silence and the dream. He knows what Tyranius has told him but to pretend to give in to Swims-In-Silence... He hisses.  
"Can't do it too fast, pup," Tyranius says as he moves to Viperish Night's side, leaning against the throne. "Kneel if you must when its time, but keep a dagger for later."  
Viperish Night glances at Tyranius. "You read me too easy." Viperish Night complains.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Just gotta pay attention to the eyes. Everyone gives something away." He glances at Viperish Night. "Swims-In-Silence won't notice what I do. He thinks he's all-powerful, even in mortal form. Even Daedric Princes can get their head beat in." Tyranius shrugs. "Your Egg-Mother beat the shit out of him, once." Zirasha walks into the throne room with Jeziasi padding behind her. Viperish Night tilts his head and Tyranius laughs. "She's a real pet wolfy now!" Tyranius says.  
Zirasha stalks to Tyranius with Jeziasi following behind her. "Should bite the brutes face for that one," she tells Jeziasi.  
Jeziasi pads to Tyranius and stands up putting her heavy paws on Tyranius's shoulders as she looks at him with her golden wolf eyes. Tyranius looks right back and after long moments of looking at him she licks his face and with a huff of werewolf laughter, she drops to all fours and settles at Viperish Night's feet.  
Zirasha laughs so hard she crashes to the ground and Tyranius wipes his face off. "Damn it," Tyranius says. "Knew giving my armor extra downtime was going to bite me in the face."  
Viperish Night looks down at his Egg-Mother with a quizzical look in his eyes and Jeziasi looks right back at him.  
"Good wolfy," Tyranius says as he crosses his arms. "You're not blaming yourself for everything anymore." Viperish Night looks at Tyranius who shrugs. "Told you, pup, eyes."  
Viperish Night blinks a few times before speaking again. "We will spend the next week raising the dead in unoccupied parts of Tamriel. And then... Reaper's March, followed by Summerset. After that...my army will be ready."  
A silence falls over the group. Zirasha's eyes glimmer at Summerset, Tyranius just smirks, and Jeziasi turns her head to look at him, a shadow of sorrow crossing her eyes. 

-Reaper's March-  
A week later Viperish Night's pack move on Reaper's March, and they ready for battle near Dune. The moons are bright in the sky as Viperish Night starts to raise the dead, and the remnants of the Wormcult prepare to help in the battle as well.   
Jeziasi glances around, not yet in wolf form. She had wanted to step foot here as Mer first, before becoming the wolf. She turns her face to the moons, remembering a day that seems so long ago. "Here, I was called," she says softly, and Viperish Night pauses to turn to her. "I thought it a dream, running under the moons searching for the wild call that drove me here each night. Only when the werewolf struck, did I know it not to be a dream." Jeziasi pauses as the curious eyes of her pack as they regard her. "Prince Hircine wanted me, I suppose. Or perhaps more as if he heard me crying in the dark for something to set me free."  
Viperish Night moves to Jeziasi. "The war..." he says as he tilts his head. "Not broke but..."  
Jeziasi turns to him and speaks. "Perhaps damaged. I saw so much on my travels, made me doubt Y'ffre, made me doubt so much. I felt trapped, everyone looked at me as some legendary hero, and all I wanted was to be free of the cold, free of doubt, free of everything that seemed to trap me. We won the war, I beat a Daedric Prince, but nothing seemed to be alright, as if the world was off-kilter as if I was off-kilter. Hircine granted me freedom from all that."   
Tyranius crosses his arms. "War is so many things. Some of us love it, live for it, have little problems with what we do in it." Tyranius shrugs. "Always been a brute hiding behind civilized Imperial visage. The war let me shed that mask." Tyranius studies Jeziasi. "It is the heroes that pay the cost for war. Because they care what happens to innocent people. Your better off on this side."  
"The innocents pay too," Zirasha says softly. "If any of us are innocent to begin with." Zirasha moves off nearer to Dune, staring off into the night as she waits for the battle to start.  
Viperish Night glances at Tyranius, then back at Jeziasi. His eyes shimmer in the moonlight as he regards her, regards her life before this before she started to follow him. Again a pain crosses his spine as he thinks of all she has given up for him. Everything, even her core values. And as her eyes look back at him, he sees no regret in them, only the sorrow deep in those eyes. She wishes for a better path for him but never regrets being at his side. Viperish Night moves toward Dune and once more he pushes his emotions to the depths again. His eyes flutter closed as he returns to the song that the dead sing to him, and they rise all around him, so very many, for the Wormcult has been busy murdering for him in Reaper's March for this day.

The battle is joined and is soon as chaotic as Skyrim. Viperish Night and his pack stream into Dune followed by the remnants of the Worm Cult, and the huge force of the undead. Khajiit warriors lie in wait for them, and once more portals snap open to let loose the Dominion troops to protect their own. This time Zirasha closes the portals as soon as they start to open, and the force the Dominion manages is less than at Greenshade.   
"This is almost too easy," Tyranius says as his scythe flies, cutting down another of the Dominion troops.  
"You did not just say that!" Zirasha hisses as she leaps onto a Khajiit, her fangs making short work of her neck. She glances up at Tyranius with feral eyes, before turning onto a Thalmor coming up behind her.  
Jeziasi leaps upon the stone wall and then turns and leaps onto a Khajiit who dares get to near to Viperish Night, her fangs and claws shredding fur and flesh. She raises her eyes to Viperish Night before throwing her head back and howling at the moon.  
Viperish Night throws his head back as well and laughs. The dead seem to respond to him and surge all around with renewed vigor as they slaughter everything in their path.

-Elden Root-  
Theodyn stands in the rain, the sound of the storm drowning out the world. He tilts his head up to the storm and closes his eyes, letting the rain run down his face. The past week had nearly driven him mad. No word on Viperish Night, on where he might strike next. And so he could not bring that traitorous Vestige to justice, to his Prince. Theodyn had been avoiding his friends as well. And that word...they had not seen each other for years, and even before they went down their paths, they had just been four people thrown together by fate. A faint glow has Theodyn snapping his eyes open as his hand drifts to Dawnbreaker. The faint shimmer gathers its strength and forms into a Breton in armor, his black hair untouched by the rain. Theodyn stares at the semi-transparent figure. He's seen him before, in Meridia's light. Darien, his Princes previous champion.   
Darien gestures with his arms. "Theodyn! I told you to watch it in there. You did not even try to hold onto anything? Anything at all? Darien asks in a disappointed tone.  
Theodyn frowns. "I was weak before. Why hold onto that?" Theodyn answers.  
Darien drops his arms. "Meridia can be harsh, but this is a new level for her," Darien says.   
"Do you blame her?" Theodyn growls. "The Vestige laid with her greatest enemy and now the world is covered in the undead!"  
Darien scratches his head. "Um... I've made the mistake of sleeping with the wrong woman before. I mean it's never threatened to end the world before, that's a new one, but still." Darien shrugs. "Come on buddy, so Jeziasi slept with the wrong guy. We are all mortal, we all make mistakes."  
Theodyn stares at Darien incredulously. "She is not even TRYING to fix her mistake! She's helping end Nirn!"   
"And why is she doing that?" Darien says. "For love! I mean, I hope I don't have any kids out there, but I would like to think I would not put a knife in their back if they did something a little bad."  
"This is not a little bad!" Theodyn snaps. "This is wrongs against all life! This is blasphemy of the highest order! This is..." Theodyn growls and turns. "Go away."  
Darien sighs. "Not saying Jeziasi is in the right. But it's not beyond understanding. She's just a little lost. And she got that way trying to help her son, who's also lost." Darien quiets. "I know it can't end well for my friend. But I want to see her again. And I want to show you that you don't have to throw everything away to be our Prince's champion." Darien grins. "Gonna haunt you for now. Someone needs to knock some sense into your head after all." When Theodyn turns to glare at Darien, he just shrugs and gives a sad smile. "You are stuck with me until the last of what I am finally vanishes," Darien says as he glances at Dawnbreaker. What remains of him is still connected to that sword that Theodyn now holds. Though even now he feels that tenuous hold slipping. He will hold onto it for now, though. "Your friend's here. So I'll take a nap for now," Darien says as he vanishes.  
Theodyn turns as Iveryni walks through the rain toward him. The rain seems to evaporate before touching her as if the heat of the Deadlands has traveled back with her. Something about how she came back...Theodyn pushes the thought aside.   
"Theodyn," Iveryni says. "A scout has activated the call. Viperish Night and his pack are in Reaper's march with the Worm Cult."  
Theodyn's hand drifts to Dawnbreaker and his eyes narrow as he pushes the thoughts of Darien and his words out of his mind. "I will fight Jeziasi," Theodyn says.   
Iveryni turns and a portal opens. "That works with our plans. Softly-Speckled-Crab and the Wyrd will divide Viperish Night's pack so we can take them down." She glances back briefly, her eyes full of fire. "We'll burn down Reaper's March if we must. If that is what it takes to end this, then that is what I will do." She turns and enters the portal, Theodyn behind her.

-Reaper's March-  
Dune falls silent as the last of the Khajiit's and Dominion forces fall. The innocent still remain, hidden in their houses in the vain hopes their protectors would stop the horror that is soon to come. Viperish Night raises his staff, ready to direct his undead into Dune to finish it, when giant fireballs start crashing down upon them, killing many of the undead and the Worm Cultists. "Dagon's champion," Tyranius says as his eyes scan the battlefield until they spot a lone figure on top of one of the buildings. "I'll take care of her." Tyranius laughs and runs into Dune in pursuit of her.  
A shadowy figure moves toward Viperish Night and Zirasha springs at him. "Imperial Brat!" She says as she mists in front of Rufico and the two dance with their blades before Rufico flees and Zirasha streams after him in mist form, intent on his blood.  
Once more Theodyn comes for Viperish Night and Jeziasi leaps at him as soon as she sees him, and the two tumble the ground, her jaws and claws snapping at him, and he with Dawnbreaker. He pushes her off and dodges her swing, Dawnbreaker slams down on the ground and light erupts from it blinding Jeziasi. Theodyn grabs her and in a flash of light teleports them into the plains surrounding Dune. 

The ground starts to shake around Viperish Night and his undead and thick roots erupt all around him, caging him in away from his pack, away from the undead and the Worm Cultists. Viperish Night hisses softly. "Do not think me easy prey."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab steps from the roots. "I would not disrespect you in that way." She says, a sad but determined look in her eyes.   
The howls of wolves have Viperish Night looking all around him and out of the roots comes wolves and women, lead by Wyress Asteria. "Viperish Night," Wyress Asteria says in a cold voice. "You, who could have chosen a different path. You, who turned your back on life to embrace death." Her eyes radiate fury. "You will be ended here."   
Viperish Night slowly smiles. "Life drowns me. Life tortures me. And so, I will end all of it. End the madness with my pack. You think you can stop me?"   
Wyress Asteria lifts her spiked staff up. "Yes, we do. Here and now, we will end this." Wyress Asteria says.  
Wyress Asteria springs at Viperish Night and her staff slices the air before her. Viperish Night's staff comes up and blocks the powerful blow, and then he springs backward as the Wyrd archer's arrows strike the ground all around him. Viperish Night hisses softly and spins as Softly-Speckled-Crab brings her staff down upon him, it hits his staff. Again Wyress Asteria springs forth and he spins around to fight her. "You think I do not know how to fight more than one foe at once?" Viperish Night says as he springs forth his staff slamming into Wyress Asteria's sending her stumbling back. He spins and does the same for Softly-Speckled-Crab. The three dance around each other, moving in to strike and the battle intensifies. Viperish Night dodges under Wyress Asteria's next swing and when Softly-Speckled-Crab comes for him he thrusts his staff out and a bolt of lightning erupts, sending her crashing hard to the ground. Viperish Night turns on Wyress Asteria. "Did you think I would play fair?" Viperish Night hisses. "You are not playing fair at all."  
"Did you expect less?" Wyress Asteria says as she circles him. He has managed to dodge the Wyrd's arrows, managed to fight both her and Softly-Speckled-Crab to a standstill. His power radiated from him. If he was just a necromancer it would have been easier. But he was a trained warrior and had the unnatural Daedric power within him. "You started a war against all life, Viperish Night. Did you think you could slaughter everyone as easily as all the innocents you have murdered?"  
Viperish Night's eyes flare. "No one is innocent!" he hisses as he puts his staff away and takes out his swords. "No one understands. No one sees the truth but I. The living are mad. I want them gone. I want there to be silence!"  
"How can you be this mad?" Wyress Asteria says as she raises her staff. As her eyes search his, an answer slowly dawns. This unnatural mix of life and death, of Daedric and Mortal, was never meant to be. For one to try to contain all of that within them...would be a near impossible task. And if one was pushed toward the brink... "I see," Wyress Asteria softly says as she pushes from the ground with her staff. Viperish Night springs at her and the two engage in violent combat, their weapons clashing against each other, and striking each other's flesh. When they at last spring back, both are winded and bloody. Wyress Asteria gazes into Viperish Night's eyes then she suddenly howls and the wolfs surge forward at Viperish Night.   
Viperish Night dives to the side and is soon buried in the Wyrd wolves that snap and claw at him. His swords fly and he springs up and is a whirlwind of flashing blades as the wolves come at him. One by one they fall to the ground, dead or injured. Wyress Asteria takes this moment to spring and her spiked staff slams into Viperish Night's arm, felling him to the ground. Before he can get up vines wrap around his arms and neck pinning him to the ground as Softly-Speckled-Crab finally staggers up and calls upon nature to bind him. Softly-Speckled-Crab raises one clawed hand, ready to tell the vines to end him, end this nightmare. "Keerasi-Zish, if there was another way..." Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"There is no other way!" Viperish Night hisses as his eyes start to glow eerie white-blue. "You will all die!" His voice turns into a howl as his body ripples and he transforms into the terrible transformation once more, becoming as one with his undead, embracing all the dark icy power that it gives him, and the vines entrapping snap as he bolts up. "Come and end me, if you can!" Viperish Night hisses as he starts to laugh.

Jeziasi glances at Dune, then back at Theodyn, fury in her eyes. She surges at Theodyn and he charges at her as well. This time no words were exchanged between the two, just vicious intent to end the other. Jeziasi driven by the will to return to her son, and to destroy anything in her way of that goal, Theodyn with the righteous fury of Meridia. Jeziasi dodges as Theodyn swings Dawnbreaker at her and she ducks her head and slams into Theodyn, flinging him to the ground with a crash. He's up in a moment and his sword is a blur of speed and power as Jeziasi dodges out of the way of most of the strikes. Once more she hits him, once more he crashes to the ground. She prepares to leap, to end this. Her eyes meet his, so full of righteous fury and hate. Never did she want it to come to this, but it has. 

Zirasha mists through Dune, following Rufico. His shadowy form ducks around buildings and she surges through a building's open window to leap through it to land on him. Her fangs rip through the Brotherhood armor and sink into his throat as she ravages it and drinks her fill of his blood. "Stupid brat, you made that too easy." Zirasha hisses as she lets go of him. As he hits the ground the hood falls off, revealing the face of a Breton woman. Zirasha reels back in shock and spins. She's too far from the others. "Damn it, damn it, damn it." Zirasha hisses as she mists and streams back. Who would he go after? She speeds up.

Just as Jeziasi is ready to leap on Theodyn a shadow comes from the darkness at incredible speed and she feels a blade sink deep into her side. Jeziasi howls and turns, slamming into Rufico and sending him crashing to the ground. She staggers back and Theodyn slams Dawnbreaker into the ground and a shock-wave of blinding light and fire slams into Jeziasi sending her flying to crash with a bone jarring impact against a group of rocks. Jeziasi's golden eyes focus on Theodyn and Rufico before the pain overwhelms her and the world goes black.

Tyranius leaps onto the building roof to find Iveryni waiting for him. "Predictable," Iveryni says softly and a wall of flames encases the edges of the roof, making any escape impossible. "How did you get this far, when you are this easily divided?" Iveryni says as her staff glows with a dark crimson light.   
Tyranius's grip on his scythe tightens. "Damn it, usually not this stupid," he says. He concentrated so much on the threat, and his desire to face her again, he let it blind him. "Well, guess I got to kill you. Make up for this." His scythe swings and the icy blades form around him. 

Blood. So much blood all around her. Zirasha flies through the air in her mist form, the scent of blood heavy. There is a trace of Viperish Night's, but Jeziasi's is heavier on the air. Zirasha speeds up and heads toward the plains, following the scent of blood. She reappears in front of Theodyn and Rufico and grabs Jeziasi, who has returned to her mer state and speeds away faster than they can react. They will come for them though. Zirasha finds an abandoned tomb and heads inside, leaning Jeziasi against the wall. "Wake up!" Zirasha snarls. "They will follow, you have to wake up Jeziasi. Wake up or I will bite you!"  
The world returns in flashes and Jeziasi's eyes flicker open as she finds herself in a small tomb, Zirasha by her side. "Zirasha..." Jeziasi says softly as she tries to rise and fails, resting back against the rocks.   
"Tell me your healing fast," Zirasha says. "Come on, Jeziasi. Heal and get up. We have to fight both of them. We have to kill bastards for doing this." Zirasha's eyes flare as she snarls. "We have to get back to Viperish Night, you know this!"  
Jeziasi's eyes flare and she once more tries to rise, crashing down again. "The blade went too deep," Jeziasi says. "And my ribs are broken. They are healing. All of its healing. Just not fast enough." Jeziasi looks up at Zirasha. "I need to get to him. But I cannot move, cannot transform yet." Zirasha rises, a feral look in her eyes as she turns toward the entrance. Jeziasi reaches up and grasps her hand. "You cannot fight them both," Jeziasi says. "Go help Viperish Night and leave me here."  
"No!" Zirasha snaps. "Do you know what Viperish Night will DO if he knows I left you to them?" she says as she looks down at Jeziasi.  
Her eyes hold something in them, it takes Jeziasi a moment to realize what it is. That is not the only reason she will not leave her. "Zirasha..." Jeziasi says.  
Zirasha shakes Jeziasi's hand from her arm and steps toward the entrance. "Never once have I had anyone I'd fight for, not even...myself," Zirasha whispers and then hisses angrily. "Look what you've done, Jez. You made me...care." Zirasha pauses. "I do not want to lose my pack."  
Jeziasi struggles to rise, struggles to ignore the pain and grievous injuries. "I will not see another I care for die!" Jeziasi growls.  
"You cannot stop me!" Zirasha says. "If I could..." Zirasha trails off, falling silent.  
Jeziasi knows what Zirasha speaks of. She had told Jeziasi of what Swims-In-Silence had told her, what power an original had. A chill runs down Jeziasi's back as she remembers Viperish Night's violent transformation. How he seemed so different after, icy cold that took time to thaw. She does not want that again, not for her son, not for Zirasha. But it may be the only way to save both of them, and help Viperish Night. "Why can't you?" Jeziasi says softly.  
Zirasha turns to her, reads the conflict in her eyes. "I...want to. But I need more blood. I have not taken enough, not for this. I can feel it." Jeziasi reaches for her again and again Zirasha hisses at her. "I told you, do not try to stop me!"  
"...I'm not," Jeziasi says. "Take mine."  
A wild look crosses Zirasha's eyes. "You cannot mean that!" Zirasha snaps. "You've lost so much blood already."  
"Do it, Zirasha," Jeziasi says. "We fight for our pack. They went after me, and that means they are going after those they feel are the biggest threat. He's in danger. If you can stop Theodyn and Rufico so we can save my son, take what you need of me. I'll recover."   
Zirasha kneels by Jeziasi and leans in close to her. "I'll stop before I take enough to kill you," Zirasha whispers. "I just need a little more. And your blood is so powerful." Her eyes gleam. "I can feel the monster under my skin, wanting out. The battle, all of my pack in danger, it feeds that." Zirasha leans in and her fangs lightly grace Jeziasi's neck and Jeziasi leans her head back as Zirasha strikes, biting into Jeziasi's neck and feeding on her blood. Jeziasi's eyes flicker closed as Zirasha feeds, the warm wild werewolf blood coursing through her, and soon it is enough. Zirasha stands. "Jeziasi," she whispers. Jeziasi slowly opens her eyes to look up at her and Zirasha smiles, her bloody fangs glimmering as she turns. Rufico and Theodyn approach, she can feel them. They think them easy prey. Zirasha will show them how wrong they are, and how wrong it was to hurt Jeziasi. Zirasha tilts her head back and closes her eyes and let's go, embracing the monster inside. She wants the world to see her truth, her gloriously imperfect truth.  
The transformation is violent and Zirasha screams as her body is torn asunder. Jagged wings erupt from her back, long graceful horns from her head. Her skin darkness into near ebony, her eyes glowing crimson red. Talons grace her feet, her claws are so much longer, so much more wicked. Her ragged hair turns into a spiked mane the color of a moonless night and as the transformation finishes Zirasha laughs and with a surge of speed she is outside, landing in the path of Theodyn and Rufico who start back in shock. "Are I not so gloriously imperfect?" Zirasha hisses.   
Theodyn snarls at her, "A bigger affront against life than before. You show your true colors, vampire. Molag Bal made you." Dawnbreaker glows in his hands as he stalks toward her. Rufico says not a word, just raises The Blade of Woe as he too stalks toward her.  
Zirasha laughs again. "An affront? I like that," she says as her eyes start to glow and she moves toward the two heroes so fast it's near-instantaneous as she appears before the two. Rufico leaps back and Theodyn thrusts Dawnbreaker at her, but its shimmering light seems to melt into the darkness that is now Zirasha. Zirasha slams her arm at the sword and the resulting shock-wave tosses Theodyn to the winds and he crashes down some distance away. She then turns on Rufico who leaps at her with the blade. Zirasha hisses with delight and the two once more start into their deadly dance, but this time Zirasha is so much faster, so much stronger and soon she has the upper hand. Her clawed hand shoots out and snatches Rufico up by the neck and she holds him aloft out of strike range. Zirasha's grip tightens. "I suppose I can drink your blood after I break your neck, brat," Zirasha hisses. Theodyn finally staggers up and runs at the two, leaping on Zirasha's back, plunging Dawnbreaker deep into her shoulder. Zirasha screams and drops Rufico, and in one graceful motion, she surges up and flies straight into the air. "You want to play golden boy?" Zirasha hisses. "This is what you get for what you did to Jeziasi!" Zirasha twists and bucks Theodyn from her, and he falls to the ground with an earth-shattering crack and lies unmoving on the ground as Zirasha lands. Rufico is by Theodyn's side in a moment and he raises his head to stare at Zirasha, his eyes filled with fury and deadly promise as he opens a portal and takes Theodyn through, fleeing from the battle.

Tyranius's ice blades slam into Iveryni's fire-bolts with small shock-waves of Daedric and magic power. The flames shimmer on his armor and Iveryni's eyes flare with the glow. "Enough damn magic, dark elf." Tyranius finally says. "Show me what else you can do."  
"Trying to bait me?" Iveryni says. "So very common." Iveryni places her staff on her back and withdraws her axes. "You think you have me at a disadvantage. I'll show you how wrong you are."  
Tyranius laughs as his ice blades vanish, and he grips his scythe with both hands. "This is going to be fun. Come at me, dark elf."  
Iveryni moves toward Tyranius like liquid grace and fire and her twin axes are blurs of speed and power. Tyranius's scythe clashes with them as the two dance in their deadly fight, surrounded by Iveryni's fiery inferno. Iveryni's axes slice deep grooves in Tyranius's armor and Tyranius's practiced swings cut into Iveryni's armor in turn, and in flesh from shallow cuts. The two break apart and start to circle each other, Iveryni's eyes on Tyranius, her hair drifting in the breeze caused by the rippling flames. "You like it now," Tyranius says. At Iveryni's stare, he laughs. "Little dark elf likes to fight. Bet you want my blood on your axes."  
"I'll settle for nothing less than you dead at my feet," Iveryni says.   
"Then let's go, dark elf," Tyranius says with a laugh, and Iveryni leaps at him her axes flying down and Tyranius's scythe comes up Daedric metal clashing against each other. Tyranius kicks her and Iveryni moves to the side, and then as Tyranius's scythe swings toward her, she dives to the side, and his scythe slams down, ringing against the stones. Iveryni spins and her axes bury themselves in Tyranius's armor and she quickly pulls them out as he slams into her sending her reeling toward the flames. Iveryni launches back at him once more and their blades clash across the roof, at times coming dangerously close to the flames. As Tyranius leaps back from Iveryni, he glances at the barrier of fire. He is enjoying himself, but he needs to return to pup. If these welps are smart they will focus most of their firepower on Viperish Night, he's the main threat. Iveryni notices his distraction and goes in for the kill, her axes start to glow with firey power as she aims them toward his midsection. Under his helm, Tyranius smirks. He knew she would do that. He lets her come in close than in a swift movement his scythe swings and slams into her hard, throwing her into the flames and off the building. A dull thud echos up and the flames at last die. "Wish I could finish this, but gotta get back to the pup," Tyranius calls down before he leaps off the building.

Arrows fly only to be shredded by the Daedric energy that pulses from Viperish Night's bone colossus form. Viperish Night raises his hand and a blast of icy energy slams into the roots and the Wyrd archers, sending them flying to crash onto the ground. Some stumble up, but others lie unmoving on the ground. Viperish Night grins and they rise and turn on their sisters with undead shrieks. The remaining Wyress wolfs come for him next, their fangs snapping all around him, but a burst of energy sends them flying to shatter with bone-shattering force upon the ground all around him. Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes widen in horror before she narrows them and slams her staff upon the ground and roots and vines surge up to wrap themselves around Viperish Night's limbs. Softly-Speckled-Crab grits her fangs as the unholy energy shreds the plants, the pain that they now suffer, she feels as well. But she knows she cannot call them back, they must stop Viperish Night no matter the cost. Viperish Night turns on Softly-Speckled-Crab but before he can attack Wyress Asteria runs at Viperish Night from the back and slams her staff into the back of his legs sending him staggering down. "Finish this," Wyress Asteria yells and Softly-Speckled-Crab concentrates all the power she has and more roots emerge from the ground their points deadly sharp. "Mercy will be granted to you," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Forgive us, if you can."  
The pulses of energy sharpen and start to shred the vines and everything around them as Viperish Night's eyes glow bright with necromantic energy and the earth starts to shake as the dead struggle through the ground, through the vines and roots to attack the Wyrd Sisters. Viperish Night slams his hand on the ground and necromantic energy streaks forward and starts to corrupt the roots all around him. "No mercy," Viperish Night hisses, his voice bone grating.  
"Wyress now!" Wyress Asteria screams. "Everything you have, everything we have left, bind him so this can be finished."  
The remaining Wyress stagger to their feet and start to chant, the nature energy shimmering in the air as they concentrate all their power. Vines and roots shoot from the ground, wrapping around Viperish Night even as his energy shreds them, even as he fights against them. 

Tyranius races through Dune. A quake in the earth pauses him briefly and he turns toward it and picks up the pace, running into the plains where a great mass of roots and vines seethe in the near distance. A shout pauses him again as Zirasha flies toward him from the west and lands in front of him. Tyranius looks up at Zirasha, who now towers above him by a few inches. In her arms is Jeziasi, who's alive but unconscious. "Damn it," Tyranius says. "We let the bastards divide us."   
Zirasha thrusts Jeziasi at Tyranius. "I'll help Viperish Night. Rufico and Theodyn..." A smile crosses Zirasha's monstrous face as she continues. "The Imperial brat fled with golden boy after I dropped him from the sky."  
Tyranius takes Jeziasi from Zirasha. "I took out the dark elf. She's probably still alive, but she may regret that later." Tyranius glances at Jeziasi and then back up at Zirasha. "Did you bite wolfy?"   
"...She let me," Zirasha hisses and turns. "Wait here, brute. Someone's got to watch her. Viper will have a fit if something happens to her."  
"Normally I'd fight you for it but..." Tyranius laughs. "Looking good, girl. Shred the bastards for me."  
Zirasha spins and takes to the air. "I'll make them choke in their blood." She laughs and flies toward the mass of green, slicing through it with utter ease.

Zirasha bursts through the greenery and takes it in a moment. Viperish Night in his monstrous form. The Wyrd Sisters using their magic to bind him faster than the pulses of Daedric energy can break the vines and roots. Softly-Speckled-Crab with her staff in hand, preparing to impel Viperish Night with the razor-sharp ends of roots. Zirasha hisses and her eyes start to glow red. Black and crimson bats shimmer into existence as she shrieks and dives at the Wyrd Sisters with the bats. The screeches of the bats, the screams of the Wyrd Sisters fill the air and soon blood does as well as Zirasha tears through them, savaging them with her claws and fangs, showing utterly no mercy to the ones who sought to end Viperish Night.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab grips her staff tighter and her magic erupts, the jagged roots shoot forward toward Viperish Night, but without the Wyrd Sister's magic, he rips through the greenery that binds them and howls, Daedric energy slamming forth and annihilating the roots. The shock-wave slams into Softly-Speckled-Crab who tumbles across the ground to land by the large roots. Viperish Night throws his head back and howls, a wave of Daedric energy bursts from him in all directions. Softly-Speckled-Crab scrambles back and a shimmering of a portal opens behind her as a battered and bloody Iveryni leaps out to drag Softly-Speckled-Crab through the portal. Iveryni looks to the Wyrd Sisters, but it is too late to save them so she slams the portal shut before the Daedric wave can destroy them as well.  
The Daedric energy slams into the roots and vines utterly annihilating them and bursting across the plains and Dune. An eerie silence falls and Viperish Night shudders as he drops to his knees as he transforms back, shedding the monstrous form. Zirasha lands near him and stumbles, she leans her head back as her monster retreats deep within her. With a small laugh, she falls on the ground and stares up at the night sky. Tyranius walks to his pack, and Viperish Night's head snaps up to look at his Egg-mother, then at Tyranius.   
"She's fine," Tyranius says, though the look Viperish Night gives him is icy cold. "We'll kill the bastards next time. Gotta be smarter than this."  
A soft groan has everyone's head turning. All the Wyrd Sisters lie dead, save for one. Wyress Asteria lies on the ground near her fallen sisters, badly injured. Viperish Night staggers up and stalks to her, looking down at the Wyrd Sister. Memories are at the edges of his mind, he knows she was once his friend, in a different life. But where there would be some sort of emotion, however buried, all there is ice. Viperish Night kneels beside her and Wyress Asteria's eyes slowly open to stare up at him. Sadness fills them as she feels the void in which her sister's life force once filled. "Kill me then," Wyress Asteria says. "Send me to be with my sisters."   
Viperish Night's claws lightly grace her throat. "What ones do you want to follow?" Viperish Night says in a icy cold voice. "Zirasha killed some of your sisters, but also did my undead kill some," he laughs as his claws continue to trail on her throat. "That means some of your sisters are with my Egg-Father. Do you want to go with them, or do you want Zirasha to rip your throat out so you can take the easy way out?"   
Wyress Asteria's eyes fill with horror. "You are not the one I knew, the one I showed the way of the forest to," Wyress Asteria whispers and she closes her eyes. "Send me to Coldharbour. I led them into this, I will not leave those who need me most."  
Viperish Night rises and the dead Wyrd Sisters rise and move toward Wyress Asteria. Her eyes bolt open in horror. Viperish Night watches as they tear her to pieces and when she is at last dead he throws his head back and laughs.  
Zirasha staggers up and backs away from the horrific scene, stopping only when she's at Tyranius's side, who's just watching the carnage. "Viperish Night..." Zirasha whispers.   
"Damn it..." Tyranius quietly says. Zirasha glances at him and he shakes his head. He felt Jeziasi stir as Viperish Night moved toward Wyress Asteria. He knew she had managed to open her eyes, to see just what her son had done.   
Jeziasi shudders in Tyranius's arms, her eyes close again. She had seen all of her pack do such horrific things, she had helped them. Atrocities, mass murders, no mercy, no surrender. But this... this was something else altogether. She softly whispers her son's name, but her eyes stay closed. She fears too much to open them, fears she will see only icy dark in those eyes, and nothing of the faint light she sought.   
"Damn it, pup," Tyranius swears in a low tone, then louder. "Pup let's get out of here."  
Viperish Night's eyes move to Tyranius. "Let the dead finish with Dune," Viperish Night hisses, and with that they surge into Dune, finishing all those who remain. Long moments pass and then Viperish Night turns and opens a portal, crossing the threshold to return home. Zirasha follows, followed by Tyranius and Jeziasi.

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Viperish Night settles in his throne, resting his head back and closing his eyes breathing hard. It took so much out of him still...but less so than the first time he assumed that form.  
Tyranius pauses as he walks closer to Viperish Night with Jeziasi. "Should I put wolfy in her room?" Tyranius asks.  
Viperish Night opens his eyes. "Put my pet in her normal spot. I lost her for a while. I wish to keep her close for now."  
"Sure pup," Tyranius says as he moves to the throne and lies Jeziasi at Viperish Night's feet. Tyranius rises and looks down at Jeziasi, studying her. He knows she's awake, but her eyes are closed still. Tyranius moves to the wall and leans against it, arms crossed.   
Zirasha looks at Viperish Night, then her eyes move to Jeziasi and then to Tyranius before she sits at the table. Truthfully she's not sure she could have stood much longer. The transformation drained all the blood she had devoured and then some. She wants to return to their room, to rest. But... as her eyes move back to Viperish Night she finds she cannot leave Jeziasi here alone right now, and so she stays.  
The temperature suddenly seems to plummet as a portal opens and Swims-In-Silence steps out. Zirasha hisses softly as Swims-In-Silence walks across the throne room. He pauses by Zirasha, his icy gaze scanning her and he slowly smiles. "Did you like it?" He hisses. Zirasha raises her eyes to his and he sees the truth in them and with a laugh he moves to Viperish Night and Jeziasi. His eyes move to Jeziasi first then to Viperish Night. "Your pet is missing her collar again," he remarks.  
Viperish Night regards his Egg-father with an icy glare. "Barbed metal is hardly suitable when she's not in wolf form," Viperish Night hisses.   
Swims-In-Silence's claws move to his side and he takes a chain from his belt with a collar attached. He tosses it to Viperish Night who snatches it from the air. Viperish Night's claws tighten as he regards it and starts to hiss in warning. "She is loyal," Swims-In-Silence says in response. "But it is best to be sure. Your actions today seem to have shaken her." Swims-In-Silence smiles. "She is awake if you were not aware of that."  
Viperish Night seems to startle a bit. He had not known she was awake, that she had been since... "Sit up, pet." Viperish Night suddenly says.  
Jeziasi slowly opens her eyes and sits up, wincing slightly. The pain still spiked through her but she felt her body healing. Perhaps she could have walked herself but it had seemed easier to keep still and silent and let Tyranius carry her home. What Viperish Night had said to Wyress Asteria, the way he killed her. Jeziasi remembers talking to the Wyrd Sister when all this had just started. It takes all she is not to show any emotion.   
Swims-In-Silence moves closer and kneels by Jeziasi, Viperish Night's eyes following him the whole time. "Did our son disturb you, my mate?" Swims-In-Silence asks her.  
How to answer that. How? Jeziasi's fingers curl and she swallows before quietly speaking, keeping her eyes on the floor. "No mercy. No survivors. That is what my son wants. It does not matter how he does it. I will follow him, always."  
Swims-In-Silence laughs. "I still hear the pain in your voice," he says with a soft hiss, and then his claws move to her neck, and his eyes move to Viperish Night. "Your vampire bit her."  
Zirasha hisses from the table. "To protect Viperish Night. To save him when she could not, she let me so I could."  
Swims-In-Silence's claws move to Jeziasi's face and she turns her eyes on him and growls softly, her eyes filled with utter murderous rage. "Are you going to try and savage me?" Swims-In-Silence asks her.  
"No, she is not," Viperish Night says. "Not yet. Jeziasi growls again but remains still and Swims-In-Silence rises and turns his full attention to Viperish Night, and the collar he has given him. Viperish Night's claws move across the chain and collar, Daedric metal, Daedric symbols.  
"No need to decide now, pup," Tyranius says from his spot on the wall. "Long damn night."  
"Go," Viperish Night hisses at Swims-In-Silence.   
Swims-In-Silence stares at Viperish Night for long moments before he speaks again. "You let him speak for you?"  
Viperish Night's eyes narrow. "He is your champion," Viperish Night says. "And one of my pack," Viperish says and follows with a low angry growl. "I will not put something you gave me on my pet. She is mine."  
"As you wish," Swims-In-Silence says and his eyes move back to Jeziasi. "In such pain, I can see it in your eyes, my mate," he says as he looks back to Viperish Night. "Perhaps I could take her for a walk? You could just use the old collar. I'm sure she would not mind for a few minutes."  
Zirasha suddenly bolts up from the table. "Leave Jez alone," Zirasha hisses. "Just get out of here. You heard Viperish Night."  
Swims-In-Silence turns on Zirasha and stalks toward her. "You dare? You think yourself that powerful now? Do not forget who made you." Swims-In-Silence says with an angry hiss.  
"I never could," Zirasha says and she suddenly lunges at Swims-In-Silence, baring her fangs. Swims-In-Silence just stands there as his eyes start to glow. Zirasha freezes mid lunge and staggers back before she starts screaming.   
"My blood runs through your veins," Swims-In-Silence hisses. "You think me too weak to control you in this form? Embrace the agony and see how wrong you are!" Swims-In-Silence's eyes narrow. "Unless you wish to kneel, then perhaps I'll stop the pain before it drives you mad."  
Jeziasi's head snaps up, her fingers scratch on the stone. She remembers Zirasha's instance on testing him. It's the only thing that keeps her still. Tyranius moves from the wall toward Zirasha and Swims-In-Silence. "Enough perhaps Prince?" Tyranius asks. "Long night. Our tempers are not at their best."  
Swims-In-Silence turns his eyes on Tyranius. "You question me? My champion?" he snaps.  
"No Prince," Tyranius says. "Just taking care of my pack. You know how it is."  
Swims-In-Silence hisses and his hand slice through the air and Tyranius's armor starts to glow. "Kneel," Swims-In-Silence demands. As Tyranius tries to resist his armor seems to contract on him until he's forced down on his knees.  
Jeziasi starts to rise, growling in anger but Viperish Night puts his claws on her shoulder. "Down pet," Viperish Night orders.   
Jeziasi sits back down and turns to look at him, to search those eyes for something other than the icy dark. "Viperish Night, please." Jeziasi whispers.   
Viperish Night gazes at her then turns his eyes to Swims-In-Silence. "Enough. They are mine and I will punish them if they step out of line." Swims-In-Silence lowers his hand, and the glow fades from his eyes. "Leave us now," Viperish Night commands. Swims-In-Silence just smiles and turns as the portal opens, enveloping him.  
Zirasha stumbles up and starts to say something but stops as she gazes into Viperish Night's eyes. "...Sorry," Zirasha whispers. "I am tired and hungry." Zirasha turns to leave and pauses. "Jez? Bed?" she says.  
Tyranius gets up from the floor and moves to the throne, his eyes fall on the collar. "She's still healing, pup. I'll take her to bed." Tyranius moves his eyes to Jeziasi. He knows she can walk but...his eyes move to Viperish Night.   
"Very well," Viperish Night hisses. "I need her healed for Summerset."  
Tyranius gathers Jeziasi in his arms and follows Zirasha out of the throne room. 

When they get to Jeziasi's room Tyranius puts her down and leans against the wall. Zirasha collapses moments later, breathing hard. "You let the Brute carry you," Zirasha says with a semi delirious giggle.  
"Damn it, girl, come here." Tyranius snaps at Zirasha.  
"Why?" Zirasha says rolling on her back.   
Tyranius sighs and his armor vanishes. "You need more blood. Take some of mine before I change my damn mind."  
Jeziasi slowly sits up. "She won't turn you?"  
Tyranius shrugs. Don't think so." he glares at Zirasha. "Better not girl."  
Zirasha rises and shakily walks to Tyranius. "I have control. Even of who I infect. Unless I just want to kill them. Then I don't bother with that." Zirasha grabs Tyranius's arm. "Not biting your neck, brute," she complains before sinking her fangs into his wrist, drinking just enough to last the night before she stops and sits on the floor. "If I have enough blood, if I am transformed, maybe I can fight his control," Zirasha says softly. "I won't know until I try."  
"Might be able to get around it too," Tyranius says. "Need to think about it. Armor is bound to me, and it belongs to him. I'll figure something out." Tyranius regards Jeziasi. "We tested him, Jeziasi. He'll test you soon."  
Jeziasi swallows. "I know. I have to...obey him when he does. No matter what the orders me to do." Jeziasi lies down on her back, her eyes staring up at the stone ceiling. "Viperish Night... has he ever..." she trails off, unable to continue, unable to ask.  
"No, wolfy," Tyranius says. "He kills without mercy. Enjoys it. But never killed with such..." Tyranius trails off and frowns.  
"...Such cruelty," Zirasha whispers.   
"He's the leader," Tyranius says. "Our loyalty is not in question. All of us are gonna follow him to the ends of Nirn, or Oblivion." Tyranius shrugs.   
"I will never leave this pack," Zirasha says. "Never. There is no other place for me in this world."  
"And I will never leave my pack," Jeziasi says. "I will never abandon my son, no matter what he becomes." Jeziasi's eyes close and a single tear runs down her cheek.  
Tyranius moves to the door. "I'll check on the pup before I sleep. He'll thaw, wolfy. He did last time, as much as he ever does." 

Tyranius walks to Viperish Night's room and leans against the wall, waiting for him.  
Viperish Night walks down the hall to his room. He threw the accused thing his Egg-Father gave him to the far corners of the room. Why had he not done it sooner? Viperish Night pauses, eyes briefly closing. So very tired. So very drained. So very cold. His Egg-Mother had been badly hurt, he should care about that, should he not? Did he? The world swims and Viperish Night stumbles and leans against the wall, shaking. It takes long moments before he stops and continues to his room, only to find Tyranius waiting for him. Viperish Night stops and stares at Tyranius.  
Tyranius stares right back. "You alright pup?" Tyranius says.  
Viperish Night just hisses and walks past him into his room. "Leave me." Viperish Night says.   
"Yeah, pup. I'll do that." Tyranius shrugs and heads to his room. he pauses to look back, Viperish Night had vanished into his room. Tyranius continues to his room and rests on the bed inside, thinking. When Mannimarco had demanded he help Viperish Night as payment for all he had given Tyranius in the Imperial City, Tyranius had thought it another job, like the mercenary work he had gotten into. Mannimarco did say it would be more like a war than that. Tyranius had just laughed at him. But he was right. This was a war. And the only way it would end was in death. "Not stupid," Tyranius says to himself. The odds of them getting killed over this... And yet Tyranius never once thought of leaving. All the things he did during the Plane-Meld, all the things he did under Viperish Night's command... would eventually bite him in the ass. Way of the world. He had nothing to live for, but brutal war and combat that had driven him for so long. Was fitting it would end that way for him when it did.


	65. Act 4 - On The Ice's Sharp Edge

_You feel it, don't you?  
Those words wake Viperish Night, although the word is misleading. He is not awake but in a dreaming state. The biting cold, the ever-present gloom. His Egg-Father has brought him to Coldharbour, or a dream version of it, again. And...it does reflect his current state more than he could like to admit. "Why does using that affect me so," Viperish Night whispers, closing his eyes not only to this dream but to truth he does not want to face.  
His Egg-Father's claws on the rocks, coming closer to him. "Because it is Daedric because it is strength. It seeks to purge your weakness. You could...just let it." Swims-in-Silence hisses.  
Viperish Night is silent for a long moment. It is true he feels less agony this way, the voices that scream and claw at him are more distant. But... it does not feel like the peace he seeks. Rather just darkness and ice. But is that not enough? Viperish Night's thoughts turn to his Egg-mother, to the fact he hardly cared that she was hurt. Feeling that way was not the peace and silence he craved. "No." Viperish Night whispers and with a surge of power the dream shatters. His Egg-Father cannot keep him trapped in dreams any longer. He can no longer torture him this way. _

Jeziasi wakes and nearly startles. She fell asleep so faster, faster than she would have thought. The night's events had drained her, as well as being so very injured. Last time she was this badly hurt it had been with her fight with Viperish Night, the very first time they met. That took days to heal. Jeziasi sits up slowly, surprised to find all that remains of her injures is a faint shadow of pain. Was this the power of being Hircine's champion? Jeziasi knows Rufico's blade nicked her heart. Knew that Theodyn's shockwave had all but shattered ribs. But now? Just the faintest shadow of pain remains. Jeziasi glances to the side to find Zirasha still asleep. She remembers Zirasha's fangs on her neck, the sharp sting of pain. Her eyes were so heavy after, but she saw Zirasha transform. And unlike her son, it did not seem to change her so drastically after. Jeziasi's head hangs down and her thoughts turn toward her son. How cold he had been. He hardly spared her a glance, despite how badly she had been injured. And what he did to Wyress Asteria... Jeziasi softly shakes. She knew eventually those she knew before would die, perhaps even by her hands. She had met Wyress Asteria so briefly, but still. To know how horribly she had died and that her son was responsible. Jeziasi rises and gives Zirasha one more glance. She has to see her son. To see if the ice is the only thing reflected in those eyes.

As Jeziasi slowly walks to the throne room Mannimarco appears in her path and she startles out of her thoughts and growls softly. "What do you want Mannimarco?" she asks.  
"Always so angry," Mannimarco says. "Something I found out. Something you may want to know." At Jeziasi's angry stare he continues. "The band cannot be removed from Viperish Night, not even by him. It bonds with its wielder, becomes one with them."  
Jeziasi stills. "Even if I could, I would never take it from him. I would never betray him, and that would be betrayal. Even if it saved him, even if it saved Nirn." Jeziasi snarls softly and walks past Mannimarco.   
"Jeziasi!" Mannimarco snaps and Jeziasi pauses. "It can be destroyed."  
Jeziasi frowns softly. "Just what game are you playing, Mannimarco? Trying to see if I'd betray my son? I never will, and I know what the book said."  
"Viperish Night could destroy it if he wanted to," Mannimarco says. "But it would utterly destroy him to do so."  
Jeziasi is so very still for long moments. "Why tell me this? To cause more pain? You failed. I know the ways this will end." Jeziasi says, a hint of despair in her voice. "I will never tell him to destroy it. I will not see him destroyed. I will die before he ever does."  
"You truly cannot bear to lose him," Mannimarco says.  
"I do not expect you to understand." Jeziasi snarls. "Your not capable of caring for anyone save yourself or loving another so much your willing to do anything for them. I do not regret being here. I never will." Jeziasi snarls once more before stalking off. Mannimarco stares after her before vanishing.  
From the shadows, Viperish Night tilts his head. Neither had noticed him, and his claws move to the band, thinking of what Mannimarco had said. No one can take it from him. No one. Viperish Night laughs softly and then pauses. Again, his Egg-mother was true to him. Despite it all. Some of the ice that holds him relinquishes its grip and Viperish Night heads toward the throne room.

Jeziasi walks past the throne room and finds herself outside, her breath white in the early night air. She's alone for a few moments before Zirasha walks out and stands by her side. The two glance at each other and the question hangs in the air unasked. How can she be alright? Somehow she must try. Jeziasi sheds her mer form to become the wolf and drops on all fours the night suddenly warmer with the wolf's thick fur covering her. Zirasha kneels and gently places the ragged collar around her neck. "Easier to look at him like this for now," Zirasha says softly. "I..." Zirasha trails off and rises. "Well, let us go. We have to prepare for Summerset, though I doubt we'll go for a few days or so."

Jeziasi slinks into the throne room with Zirasha and moves to Viperish Night, lying down by his feet. A few moments pass before Viperish Night stands and moves to crouch in front of Jeziasi. His claws gently grace her face, sinking into the fur around her neck. "Egg-mother," Viperish Night says softly. "It is so very hard to keep from the furthest depths after. I should want to be there, stay there but..." Jeziasi raises her head to look into his eyes and it's still there, still floating in the icy dark waters. Jeziasi leans into his hand with relief. "Help me keep it, Egg-mother," Viperish Night whispers. "Please. It may ease the pain, quiet the screams in my head to drown it, but I find I cannot bear to do so. I cannot bear to hurt you if I did. It is not peace to lose it, but surrender and submission." Jeziasi stares into those tormented eyes of his and nods and he buries his head into her fur shaking slightly. Jeziasi closes her eyes, a little more at peace. She will always be by his side, always swimming toward that faint glow she can see, feel. No matter what he does, no matter how this ends, she will stay with her son.   
Tyranius walks in and leans against the wall. "Hey pup, wolfy. Mannimarco's here." Tyranius says. Viperish Night rises and turns to him and Tyranius shrugs. "Like you better this way. It's less like him."  
Viperish Night just nods and sits on the throne. Less like his Egg-father. Familiar hate courses through his veins. His eyes fall on Mannimarco as he walks in. Mannimarco and his Egg-mother seem to have no idea that he had overheard them today. "You have been gone a long time," Viperish Night hisses.  
"Researching various things," Mannimarco says as he moves to the corner and picks up the abandoned collar, studying it before placing it on a small alcove. "Really?" Mannimarco sneers at it.  
"He is just making me want to kill him more." Viperish Night hisses angrily.   
"As an immortal Prince time is meaningless," Mannimarco says. "As a mortal, however...he may be impatient. His intentions may be to try and hurt both of you for your continued refusal of submission." Viperish Night hisses and Jeziasi growls. Mannimarco sighs as he moves closer to them. "Can you transform back?" Mannimarco asks Jeziasi. "I found something out and I rather not have to listen to your beastal noises and howls if it sets you off."  
Jeziasi rises and towers over Mannimarco, her golden eyes promising that she and Viperish Night will hunt them someday. Threat delivered, she drops to all fours again and Viperish Night reaches and takes the collar off.   
"Someday," Viperish Night says, fangs exposed as he looks at Mannimarco as Jeziasi shifts back.  
"So very many threats from both of you," Mannimarco says and before he can be hissed and growled at again he crosses his arms and says one name. "Clavicus Vile." Jeziasi freezes as he continues. "Molag Bal gave him something so he would send you to Oblivion for the favor you owed the Prince of Bargains."   
Jeziasi closes her eyes. The day she woke up in Shadowfen to find Swims-In-Silence gone and the confusion he left in his wake. Returning to her home only to find Clavicus Vile waiting for her, demanding she honor the bargain she made with him in Summerset. And what he wanted puzzled her. He wanted her to come to his realm to visit, and to explore other realms should she wish it. "I thought it a coincidence back then, but the thought has crossed my mind since I learned the truth, that perhaps it had not been a coincidence. I never was sure, though." Jeziasi says.  
"Why?" Viperish Night asks.  
Jeziasi lowers her head and answers before Mannimarco can. "In time I would have questioned Swims-In-Silence, and what happened in Shadowfen. Why he had come to me, his eyes. So very many things. I would of remembering bonding with him sooner. How strange and unnatural it all was. I would have searched for him and perhaps even found you before..." Jeziasi trails off, unable to continue.  
Viperish Night blinks. If his Egg-mother had found him, would things of been different, or would his Egg-Father and Mannimarco found a way around that too? Viperish Night rests his hand on Jeziasi's shoulder. "It's not your fault. It is still, and always will be, theirs."   
Jeziasi nods slowly as she looks back at him. She knows that. But in her heart... a mother should be there when her young are born or hatched. Raise them, love them, protect them. So very many things she was utterly denied. "In Oblivion... it is not a place for mortal minds. Survival is a razor's edge so much of the time. I did not have time to think, to wonder. Just fight and survive. And I did not return...even when I could. I think I knew I made a grievous mistake and could not bear to face it so I ran." Jeziasi admits, falling into thought. Her eyes snap up at Mannimarco. "Swims-In-Silence and you wanted me out of the way. But not dead. There was more than one time I thought my end had come, that I would fall for the final time. Impossible things happened to save me." Jeziasi stares at Mannimarco.   
"Yes, Jeziasi. Swims-In-Silence had me interfere in those cases. Risking discovery, risking angering other Princes, so you would not die. So you could bear witness at what you had done, and so he could have you." Mannimarco says. "It would have been easier to let you die. Easier to keep Viperish Night's egg in this time, instead of the past. And yet..." Mannimarco stares at both of them. "Now do you understand how mad Swims-In-Silence truly is?"  
Viperish Night laughs softly. "We can fool him. We can make him think we are his, eventually, and he will believe it. And then our jaws will snap on his neck."  
"Yes," Mannimarco says. "You can do what I failed to do and trick the Prince of Schemes, for he has been foolish enough to do this to himself. Just try not to lose yourself in the meantime." Mannimarco turns and vanishes.

-Elden Root-  
Theodyn lies in a bed in the infirmary, golden light surrounding him. Darien leans against the wall arms crossed. "Wonder if this knocked any sense into you," Darien muses. That vampire had done a number on him. Dropped him from a bone-breaking height. If Theodyn had been a normal mortal he'd be dead. But instead, Meridia's golden light surrounds him, healing him. "Jeziasi's new friend hits hard," Darien says as he moves from the wall and waves his hand in the light. "Meridia, you could be nicer to this guy, you know that right?" Darien scowls as there is no answer as he leans against the wall. "Either she can't hear me, or she just does not care at all about me," Darien says with a shrug. Not once had Darien sensed that Meridia was even aware he was still here. Still hanging on. He had not known why he did not just let go...until Theodyn had come, and he learned just what kind of a mess his friend Jeziasi had gotten herself into. Darien's head moves to the door and he returns to the wall and leans against it, becoming even more transparent. He's not sure anyone else can see him, but he thinks it best to stay known only to Theodyn for the moment.  
Rufico enters the infirmary and looks around. Almost as if he can sense that something is in here. After a few moments, he determines there is no threat and moves to Theodyn, though keeping a distance from the golden light. Rufico stares intently at Theodyn for nearly ten minutes, before turning and walking out. Darien watches him go and shivers. "Those Dark Brotherhood types always send a chill down my spine. I accidentally slept with one once, Theodyn. She wanted a little downtime. Though she tired me out enough I would not wake when she got up and put on her gear. I can still feel her knife at my throat if I ever told anyone about it." Darien pauses. "I just told someone. Well, already dead so it is not like that's a problem." Darien closes his eyes. "Well, nap time. How can a spirit be tired? All this hanging around. I got to talk to my friend one last time. And knock sense in your head. Not much rest even for the dead." Darien's form shimmers and he returns to rest in Dawnbreaker.

Rufico silently walks down the halls to the meeting room where he enters and leans against the wall and watches Iveryni. She's already healed, much faster than Theodyn, though Theodyn was much more badly injured. Rufico frowns slightly as he tries to figure it out. Iveryni suddenly stops and turns to him. "Where is Softly-Speckled-Crab? She should be here!" Iveryni snaps.  
Rufico stares at her for a moment before answering. "Iveryni...she's with what remains of the Wyrd," Rufico says quietly. Many of the Wyrd had followed Wyress Asteria into battle, though some stayed behind to carry on the Wyrd traditions in the event they failed.  
Iveryni falls silent. "...Oh," she softly says, it at last dawns on her that the Wyrd Sisters had paid the highest price in the battle. How could she have ever forgotten that? Iveryni moves and sits down.  
"And I thought I would be the one to come back ice cold," Rufico muses. A hint of something crosses his face before he hides it.  
"...Oh," Iveryni says again. "You are the one that needed us most." Her eyes move to his. She had dived into her training, into the notion that anything that was not strength was weakness, and she had to be as strong as she could to become this. To withstand the flames, and emerge a warrior that could end Viperish Night before he created a dawn no one would ever want. Perhaps...she had lost something in the flames. Perhaps she did not know how to be kind, how to understand others' pain anymore. She had always been aloof, showing emotions was always risky amidst the Telvanni, they used anything against each other. But she did care...at least before the flames.   
Rufico shrugs. "In the past, yes. I was alone from such a young age. I forgot what it felt like to have a family." Rufico turns and starts to walk out. He turns his head back to Iveryni. "Not that we were a family. Just misfits thrown together by forces greater than us." Rufico adds. A hint of sorrow crosses his eyes.  
Iveryni tries to read in those dark eyes of his. "Have you found your family then, in the Brotherhood?" she quietly asks.  
"...Yes," Rufico says softly. Though one thing was missing. Rufico walks out, away from Iveryni's intense gaze. He starts to head toward his room, but turns and heads back to the infirmary. He knows it's far too soon for Theodyn to wake, but he wants to keep a watch on him, nevertheless. There was something...in his room. It meant no harm, but Theodyn was not alone.

Rufico enters the infirmary to find a familiar tabby on a table by Theodyn. "Sheogorath," Rufico says, a hand drifting to a dagger.  
Sheogorath raises his head. "The other crazy one! You know I might have talked to you! It was a hard choice! The Imperial kid that played with Molag Bal's horrors or the Breton who wanted to be his sister! HOW TO CHOSE? It's like choosing between swiss and cheddar."   
"Played?" Rufico says as he leans against a wall and takes out his knife, cutting his nails with it. "More like ran screaming though the Imperial sewers searching for a way out."   
"Mixing Nirn with Oblivion!" Sheogorath says. "Madness! You saw into the heart of it! And yet still, I decided on Theodyn." Sheogorath turns his head toward Theodyn and spits at him. "He's boring now! How could he be THIS boring?" Sheogorath's tail swishes.  
"Meridia," Rufico says. "She changed him more than I would have thought."   
Sheogorath once more hisses. "I hate her now! Boring! I wish she had tried to punch Hircine, so he would have punched her with werewolves! Lots and lots of werewolves!" he spits. Sheogorath stands and arches his back then turns back to Rufico. "I LOVE mortals. All of you changed more than most. Being touched all over by Daedric and stranger forces! It is a melody of madness! Except when it is not!" At Rufico's silence, Sheogorath adds, "You seem saner than I would have expected. I would have said it's boring but! BUT!" Sheogorath stares intently at Rufico. "You live in the darkness now! What's in your darkness? What kind of crazy is going to come out when you're pushed in a corner! I WANT TO KNOW."  
"Of course you do..." Rufico says. "Why don't you bother Iveryni. She should be in the meeting room still."  
"Not going to say? Of course! Silence! THE VOID DREAD FATHER AND ALL THAT CRAZY STUFF!" Sheogorath stretches. "I would rather NOT visit the Dunmer. I like not exploding! Except when I do! Wait, I prefer to DO the exploding." Sheogorath leaps on the ground and winds toward the door. "She's going to erupt someday soon, mark my word! Like that Red Mountain. I tried to make that go boom! Damn Dunmer!" Sheogorath hisses and starts to stalk out the door. He stops and turns back to Rufico. "Your thoughts on Theodyn are madness!" Sheogorath laughs. "I know one thing you hide in the dark! He prances out.  
Rufico grips the knife, tempted to throw it at him. Though he's not that foolish. "Damn Daedric Princes," Rufico says softly as his gaze turns to Theodyn. When Rufico had been thrown with the group, he thought to keep his distance. Play the useless ruffian, until he felt the need to go. Theodyn... Theodyn was the reason he stayed, and it was not until he saw Theodyn nearly dead at Craglorn that he had understood the depths of what he felt for him. Leaving him in Elden Root to go with the Brotherhood was one of the hardest things Rufico had done. He had known Theodyn had been infected, should he have stayed with him? The truth of it is Rufico had no idea what Theodyn's path would be, what would happen. He did not want to see Theodyn put down like a dog, and so he ran and embraced his path as fast as he could. The fact that Meridia had chosen him, purified the infection... but changed him so very much in the process. "Yep," Rufico quietly says. "Damn Prince is right, Theodyn. Madness. It is always madness what I feel. I'll need to put that back in the dark. It will only get in the way."

-Skyrim Tomb-  
-A few days later-  
 _Jeziasi's eyes open to the Hunting Grounds. The grass under her, the trees that tower over her. The cries of the familiar and unfamiliar of the creatures that dwelt deeper in. And something else. Jeziasi leaps up and spins, her eyes widen softly as she finds herself surrounded by the Wyrd. Wyress Asteria steps toward Jeziasi. "We mean no harm, Champion of Hircine." Wyress Asteria says. The world spins for a moment before Jeziasi remembers to breathe. She glances around and then back to Wyress Asteria. Words should come, but they seem insufficient. Wyress Asteria smiles a sad smile. "I did not think I would leave you speechless. It has been many moons since we spoke in Elden Root."  
"How?" Jeziasi says softly. She remembers all too well her son's words. The deadly promise to send her to Coldharbers icy chill.  
"Lord Hiricine has granted us this," Wyress Asteria says. "The Wyrd worship him, and he has granted us this boon, even if our hunt did fail. We made promise to aid you, Champion of Hircine, if you have need us. Though against Molag Bal, that is yours and Viperish Night's hunt alone."  
Jeziasi is silent for a moment, before slowly lowering herself to the ground, sitting surrounded by the Wyrd, the ones her pack had ended. "Why?" she whispers.  
The Wyrd sits around her and Wyress Asteria sits in front of her. "Jeziasi, you will not turn on your son. We understand. Even if the woods come first for us, even if the hunt comes first for Lord Hircine, it is understood. Nature is who we are, who Lord Hircine is. A mother protects her own, above all else in nature. You are running the same path. You had a choice, and you decided on the harder path, the one with the most pain."  
"He's my son..." Jeziasi whispers. "I never thought I wanted children, but when he came into my life...it was as if something I was missing was suddenly there right in front of me. I ran alone for so long, and then...just like that." Jeziasi pauses. It is so hard to explain, but somehow Wyress Asteria seems to understand. "I know it cannot end well, but...I find I cannot walk another path. I find I cannot abandon him. Even when he..." Jeziasi trails off. Again she sees the fury in Wyress Asteria's eyes, but also peace with what has happened.   
"We understand. Viperish Night is corrupted by the Daedric essence within him." Wyress Asteria says. "We never saw this, it was hidden very well... if he had been made of only life and death magic, it would be on him at least in part if he chose death over life. But he never had a chance at all, for how he was created. It has driven him to madness."  
Jeziasi lowers her head. "The Daedric part of him...could it be purged? Is there any way? I know it is too late, I know...but..." she trails off.  
"Perhaps once," Wyress Asteria says. "Viperish Night would have to want it. Want to let go of the power it gives him."  
"He would not, not now," Jeziasi says. She closes her eyes. Perhaps once. "The Band of T'zlich," Jeziasi whispers. "Once he put it on, it was too late, was it not?"  
"You know that now," Wyress Asteria says. "Yes, Jeziasi. It is too late now for anything else."  
"And yet, your willing to help me." Jeziasi's eyes open. "Why?"  
"Lord Hircine wishes it of us," Wyress Asteria says. "And I and my sisters do not wish to dwell in hatred and rage." Wyress Asteria rises, as does her other sisters. "We will return to Coldharbour for now." At Jeziasi's startled look Wyress Asteria looks down at her. "We will aid those who your son has sent to his Egg-Father as best we can. When we are done, we have a place with our Prince. But it is best Molag Bal thinks all of us are bound to him, for now. We understand your hunt, Jeziasi." Wyress Asteria fades, as does the rest of her sisters, leaving Jeziasi alone. _

That night passed as most nights had since Reaper's March, raising the dead in forgotten and far off places. Viperish Night and his pack raise the dead in distant parts of Wrothgar on this night. A small scouting party of Orc's was run into and quickly killed and the night was peaceful once more. After the dead were raised and hidden Jeziasi shifts back and pauses, for Viperish Night has walked away from the others to watch a pack of wolves. Jeziasi quietly moves to his side. "Once, in Rivenspire, I ran into wolves. I was...upset and did not wish to kill them so I just laid down among them." Viperish Night says and tilts his head slightly. "It was very strange, Egg-mother. They did not attack and eat me, nor did they run."   
Jeziasi places a hand on Viperish Night's arm. It was strange to think of her son amongst wolves, at peace with being among them, being one with nature. It was also sad...that he had been driven so far from the life magic that called wolves to him, once.   
Viperish Night glances at Jeziasi. At times his Egg-mother made the past memories he had tried too hard to drown surface. Some...most of the memories pained him so. But some... Viperish Night swallows slightly as Jeziasi looks at him, and he reads the hint of sadness in those eyes of hers.  
His eyes as he gazes at her, this is what most failed to see. Viperish Night had never wanted this to be his river. Once, he wanted something far different. But the monsters in the dark hunted him, hounded him, granted him no peace, no choice. "Too many of our choices have been taken from us," Jeziasi says softly. "It leaves us so very few options."  
Viperish Night dips his head slightly at her words. "We will end the monsters," Viperish Night says. "But it will not change much, will it?" A dark look crosses his eyes.   
"No," Jeziasi whispers. "But at least we can make them suffer for doing this to us."  
"And then..." Viperish Night trails off, but Jeziasi knows his thoughts.   
Knows Nirn is what he also thinks deserves to suffer for its part in his pain and despair. "If that is what you must do, then that is what we will do," Jeziasi says. He must know as well as she how this will end. At least...he also knows she will be at his side until the end, all of their pack will. And at least, he will be loved.

-Elden Root-  
Razum-dar stands before his queen. Queen Ayrenn looks at him with grave eyes. "You are certain, Razum-dar?" she asks softly.  
"Razum-dar is," Razum-dar says. "This one's eyes have seen the Malmer preparing in secret. Summerset is Viperish Night's next target, perhaps the last one before his army marches.   
"Than this is the last chance to stop him before the unthinkable occurs," Queen Ayrenn says. "For if we fail to stop him in Summerset, all of Tamriel will be at war with his army of the undead." Her eyes darken. "We will speak to the allegiances, and form a massive defense in response. Viperish Night must be stopped on Summerset's shores."  
"This one will speak to the heroes and come up with a plan," Razum-dar responds and he turns to leave but Queen Ayrenn's next words halt him.  
"Raz," she says and Razum-dar turns to her.  
"This one begs of his Queen, do not ask Razum-dar what you are about to ask," Razum-dar says, shoulders tense.   
"Very well, my friend." Queen Ayrenn says and Razum-dar walks out of the throne room. Her eyes follow him, troubled. The news he had given her when the four heroes had returned...that Molag Bal once more was involved in Nirn and the way he went about it this time...

Razum-dar leans against the wall listening to the heroes as they sit around the table planning for Summerset. Theodyn suddenly slams his fist on the table. "Jeziasi is MINE," Theodyn snaps.   
"Will you stop being so idiotic?" Iveryni snaps back. "You have Dawnbreaker, you should be after Viperish Night, not focused on Jeziasi. None of us can go after the same ones we did last time, they will be expecting that. We failed in that plan." Iveryni's eyes seem to glow like molten lava as she snaps, "Abject failure. Abject! This is not tolerable."  
"My Prince demands Jeziasi pay!" Theodyn says with a growl.   
Rufico sits back in his chair, arms crossed. "All of them will die, Theodyn," Rufico says. "They all will pay. Why does it matter who kills who? You seemed to have no issues with me putting a blade to the Vestige."  
Theodyn's hands curl into fists. "That is because you lied to me, Rufico. You told me you would incapacitate her for me, not go in for the kill." Theodyn snarls.  
"I'm an assassin, in case you have forgotten," Rufico says. "We play for keeps. If I see an opportunity on any of them, I will send their souls to the Void."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab watches her friends and her head lowers slightly. All they do is argue. And all they do is disregard feelings. Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes move to Razum-dar, who seems unaffected as he watches the group, but the hurt exists deep in his eyes. He strives to hide it. Softly-Speckled-Crab starts to hiss, and her hiss grows in volume until the arguing stops and everyone's eyes turn to hers. "We must save Nirn," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "But how can we, when most of you have forgotten how to feel? How to care? How to be anything but this?" Softly-Speckled-Crab's claws scratch the table. "I understand, I will put away my kindness when I face Viperish Night and his army. I will kill when I need to, for it is a mercy to end this. But I have not forgotten my kindness! I have not forgotten who I am, and am not just who I have to be!"  
"Who we were does not matter!" Theodyn snaps. "Who we were FAILED. Who we were got massacred at Craglorn. I am who my Prince wants me to be. That should be good enough."  
Rufico glances at Theodyn. "I liked who you were," Rufico says softly, almost too softly to see.   
Theodyn's eyes snap to his in confusion. "How could you? I was weak and stupid. Just like you." Theodyn says.  
A glimmer of hurt crosses Rufico's eyes before they become cold. "I have not forgotten my failures. How useless I was," Rufico says softly, dangerously. "But you used to think before you spoke, Theodyn. You would not have said things that feel like daggers in the night."  
"Nothing I am saying hurts anyone!" Theodyn snarls.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses again and her eyes move to Razum-dar and Theodyn follows her gaze. "You hurt him. You hurt your friends," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.   
Before Theodyn can snap a response, Iveryni places a hand on the table. "Enough, Softly-Speckled-Crab is right," Iveryni says. "On some things, at least. We must not fight. They will divide us, kill us if we fight amongst ourselves."  
As Iveryni and Softly-Speckled-Crab's words sink in, the group slowly calms and starts to plan. "This one thought it would be months before you started to work together," Razum-dar says. 

Later after the group breaks after coming up with their plan, Theodyn walks into his room and Darien appears and walks around. "You're an idiot, you know that right?" Darien says.  
Theodyn stares at him. "You too?"  
Darien leans against the wall and laughs. "Damn, you are young. You don't see it do you?" At Theodyn's confused angry look Darien laughs and fades away.

Softly-Speckled-Crab walks through the tree and at last finds Iveryni just outside it, staring up at the night sky. Softly-Speckled-Crab moves to her and hands her a sweet roll, before crouching on the ground to munch on hers. "The marsh is full," Softly-Speckled-Crab said. "Words fail me. But they do not have bread."  
Iveryni glances at her, then at the sweet roll before returning it to Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Somethings never change," Iveryni says. "But so many things do. You cannot expect us to be what we were, Softly-Speckled-Crab."   
Softly-Speckled-Crab looks up at her. "Something is wrong," Softly-Speckled-Crab softly says.   
Iveryni glances at her. "Everything is wrong. Everything will be wrong until Viperish Night is stopped." Iveryni's eyes move back to the sky before she turns and walks into the tree, heading toward bed.  
"That is not what I meant...." Softly-Speckled-Crab says as she stares after Iveryni. She had not seen her eat a single bite since she came back. Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes glimmer as she turns to look out into the night before rising and heading deeper into the night gloom to seek out a cat.

Softly-Speckled-Crab finds Razum-dar near the water, as he has been many a night when his duties are done. She moves to him and sits by the side, her clawed feet dangle into the water. Razum-dar's eyes look down at her. "This one would prefer if you not ask," Razum-dar growls softly. "This one's duty has always been clear. This changes nothing."  
"That may be so," Softly-Speckled-Crab agrees, "But it changes the heart. It changes us." Her eyes move to the water and she traces it with a claw. "I understand rivers more now. Argonian's go with the river. But if we get caught in another, we can get lost. Keerasi-Zish is lost, for others decided his river. Jeziasi is lost, for she dove in after him to try and save him."  
Razum-dar growls again. "She cannot save him. This has gone too far. This one knows this. All of them must face justice. They...are far too dangerous to be allowed to live." Razum-dar's eyes close.   
Softly-Speckled-Crab's hand dips into the water. "Mercy, Razum-dar. Mercy in death, if nothing else." Softly-Speckled-Crab quiets for long moments before speaking. "Love can save us. Love can also destroy us. It is too late to save him, and so she swims with him into the end." Softly-Speckled-Crab rises. "What it was she that needs saving, Razum-dar? Not for us to save, not for you to save, but Keerasi-Zish? Jeziasi is willing to give up everything for her son, willing to do anything for him, so what would Keerashi-Zish give up to save his Egg-Mother?" Softly-Speckled-Crab starts to walk away and then looks back. "He loves her, Razum-dar. I could see it in his eyes. Despite the monster he is, he loves her. His madness and pain will not allow him to swim another river for her, but he does love her. You may say that changes nothing, and it may not. We do not know the final course of the river that drowns them, and that now drowns Nirn." With those final words, Softly-Speckled-Crab walks away.  
Razum-dar opens his eyes to gaze into the water, the ripples from Softly-Speckled-Crab's claws spreading out across the water. "Jeziasi..." Razum-dar softly says. "Why did this happen? Why are you forcing this one to fight you?" Nothing said this night will change what he must do, what he will do. But Softly-Speckled-Crab is right. He will never be as he once was it is done. Razum-dar closes his eyes again, trying to will away the pain, trying not to think what the future will hold for just a moment.


	66. Act 4 - All-Consuming Flames

The portal opens on the shores of Summerset just after dark. The Maormer Commander Ikhil is waiting for them in a small cave near Lillandril and Viperish Night moves to speak with him.  
Jeziasi watches him for a moment before moving to the shore, the tide lapping near her feet. The ocean is so dark at night, the sounds of the waves a peaceful melody. It has been years since Jeziasi has graced these shores, found old and new friends, fought against The Court of Bedlam, against Nocturnal...and killed the girl who had once been a friend to save it all. Veya had been lost to hate and rage, far beyond Jeziasi's ability to save. Jeziasi softly swallows. Viperish Night, her son was even more lost, had done even worse things. But this time... she refused to fight against him.  
Tyranius moves to stand beside her, helm under the crook of one arm. "Too many memories, wolfy?" he asks.  
"...Yes," Jeziasi says softly. "I thought never to return here. Yet, I am here. And I am to set it to ruin."  
"Wolfy, I'd tell you to drown those emotions of yours but..." Tyranius trails off and falls silent, leaving it unspoken. What one could become without part of who they were.  
"You turned on your Prince," Jeziasi says changing the subject, "For such a simple reason as you like my son better. Was it just that?"  
Again, Tyranius falls silent. "No, Wolfy. I'm a bloodthirsty bastard, I'll kill anything and anyone and never shed a tear, but I don't care for curs who think they can force themselves on others. They force their ideals on others, force men to kneel, and every other way they think they can dominate others." Tyranius glances at Zirasha, who's some distance away sitting on a rock, lost in her memories. "Members of the Zero legion did that. Not the ones under MY command, I would have executed them. Molag Bal did that as well. Viperish Night... he does not. So..." Tyranius shrugs.  
Jeziasi turns to stare at Tyranius. "Strange sense of honor, Tyranius," Jeziasi says, and then smiles slightly. "I thought you might have one, under all that brutish blood lust."  
Tyranius laughs. "The dark sides more complex than you thought, Wolfy?" he asks.  
Jeziasi just shrugs at that and then turns back to the ocean. "...You don't mind how this will end?" Jeziasi says softly, her words almost lost to the waves.  
Tyranius turns to look at the ocean as well. "No, Wolfy," Tyranius answers. "Had a good run. Go down as I live, seems fitting enough." Tyranius gets up soon after to leave Jeziasi to her thoughts.

Tyranius moves to Zirasha, and she hisses softly at him. Tyranius crosses his arms. "Do what you got to do, girl. We don't attack till tomorrow night. The night is young."  
Zirasha glances at Tyranius, her memories have tormented her since they arrived. Summerset had been her home, but it never had felt like it. She never had fit in, and when she broke and limped home, no one could even see the pain and fear that was crystal clear in her eyes. All they cared is she live up to their ideal. Be perfect, even when she was broken in too many pieces to ever be made whole again, the way she was before. "Brute..." Zirasha breaths. "We can't give our plans away. We can't let them know we are here." Her eyes move to Viperish Night. It was strange to her, to know she valued her pack over seeking revenge on her parents for not loving her, not seeing how much pain she had been in. Just wanting her to be perfect.  
"We trust you," Tyranius says. "Besides, those bastards seem to find us either way." Tyranius glances at her. "Do what you got to do," he repeats before he moves to the cliff and leans against it.  
Commander Ikhil stands in front of Viperish Night. "We stand ready far offshore, Viperish Night," Commander Ikhil tells him. "Our storm mages stand ready to unleash their magic. Tomorrow at dusk, they will cast their magic and fog will roll in covering our entrance, we will strike at Lillandril and rid it of the Altmer." Commander Ikhil crosses his arms across his chest. "Should we need it, the storm mages will summon a storm to strike at them as well." Commander Ikhil stares at Viperish Night. "You will honor our agreement, Summerset will be ours, correct?"  
Viperish Night smiles, fangs glimmering. "Until our allegiance is broken, and we come for you," Viperish Night agrees. "My undead stands ready, and my pack is set to bring fangs upon them all." Viperish Night turns to the ocean, the sounds of the living do not reach this far, save for Commander Ikhil and Viperish Night's pack. Viperish Night turns from the commander and moves to his Egg-mother.  
Viperish Night comes to rest beside her, standing with his claws sinking into the soft sand. Without needed to ask, he knows what plagues Jeziasi. "Memories," Viperish Night hisses softly. "As if they seek to drive us mad, drive us further in the depths."  
Jeziasi's eyes move to his. "I saved Nirn more than once, Viperish Night. But I always, always failed to save those who fought beside me, failed to save my friends," Jeziasi whispers, pain crossing her face. She cannot lose Viperish Night as well. Even knowing the truth of it all, how it may end as soon as tomorrow night should they be discovered and set upon as they were in Reaper's March. Forces were gathering against them like an ocean wave against the shore. The inevitability of it all grips her soul and she puts her thoughts into words. "I cannot lose you," Jeziasi breaths. "Any of you."  
"Then we will have to kill them all," Viperish Night says. "End their pain, their madness, their continued existence and threat against us."  
When her son said things such as this, the madness in his eyes seemed to grow. Corruption at the deepest level, woven into his very being and the band made it all utterly inseparable, made it impossible to fully reach him, to bring him out of the depths. Jeziasi takes his hand in hers. Smooth claws, rough scales. So very different than her own but as he returns her grip she knows he loves her, knows that speck of light still lived, that he even wanted it to live. The two stare into the ocean darkness, bound by fate. One that cannot escape it, one that refuses escape from it.

Later into the night, Zirasha walks to the edge of camp. She glances at her pack before turning and misting, flowing down the ocean cost toward Alinor. The city streets are quiet, only the guards seem to be around this late at night. Zirasha reforms away from any guards and silently walks through the city, keeping to the shadows. Alinor is familiar, and yet not. She grew up here, was trapped here. It...had never been home, however. She never felt like a proper Altmer. Zirasha moves to the upper levels and soon stands before her parent's house. It is just as she remembers. Perfectly maintained state of perfection. Zirasha moves around back to the servants door and silently picks the lock, and enters the house. Inside is just as she remembers it as well. Nothing out of place, not a single speck of dirt or dust. Utterly perfect, the Altmer creed. Zirasha slinks to her room, or what had been her room before she left.  
Here, here is change. Not a single thing familiar, nothing of her is left in this place. Zirasha stands at the doorway, a lost look on her face. She had made herself imperfect and so her parents erased her once she left as if she never existed at all. Zirasha hisses and turns moving toward her parent's room. She would show them how utterly glorious imperfect she was, that she existed even if they denied it, and then she would kill them and swim in their blood.  
"Zia?"  
Zirasha freezes at the name, a long-forgotten nickname one of the Khajiit servants used to call her when she was a child. Zirasha slowly turns around. The Khajiit's fur is soft brown with black speckles, now streaked with grey. Her golden eyes are wise and kind, though sorrow flickers through them. "Habasi," Zirasha breaths. Zirasha remembers her before Habasi left to care for a ailing son back in Northern Elsweyr when Zirasha was twelve. Zirasha blinks, memories surfacing. Habasi had always been kind to her, never scolding her for her messes as her parents did. Just let her be who she was, not who others thought she should be. Suddenly, Zirasha is all too aware of her fangs, her monstrous red eyes, her unnaturally pale skin, the fact she had killed so very many Khajiits. Habasi must see this, must know this. She will flee, and she should. Zirasha is a glorious monster.  
But Habasi does not flee, instead cautiously approaches Zirasha, and when Zirasha is still Habasi moves a gentle paw across the hideous scar Zirasha had torn into her flesh on her last day in Summerset. "This one returned after my son died," Habasi says softly. "Elsweyr no longer felt like home, the memories. This one returned to work here." Habasi's eyes sadden. "Your parents said nothing. This one found all your things gone."  
"As if I never existed," Zirasha hisses angrily.  
"Zia, what happened?" Habasi asks. "This one knows you struggled against the Altmer way of life but..." she trails off  
Zirasha knows what this kind Khajiit cannot say. The whole of Tamriel knows of Viperish Night and his pack, knows of her and all she's done with them. Zirasha turns from Habasi, snarling softly.  
Habasi purrs, "You spit like a young cub!" Habasi says, then her voice turns serious. "Zia."  
"...Bad things," Zirasha whispers. "Things no one cared to ask me about. They just tried to fit me in their mold, ignoring the fact I had been utterly shattered." Zirasha swallows. "Fear is all I knew until I was transformed. Only then was I free."  
"Oh, Zia," Habasi breaths, and she quiets for a few moments. "What do you intend to do here?" Habasi asks.  
"You must know," Zirasha responds, her crimson eyes locked on her parent's door.  
Habasi follows her gaze. "Will it help?" Habasi asks gently.  
"I... do not know," Zirasha says.  
"Zia, this one thinks they don't deserve your attention." Habasi takes a deep breath. "They do not deserve to see you again, my Zia. They are unworthy of you if they could dispose of you so easily."  
Zirasha is silent. If she came her months ago...Habasi's words would hold nothing for her. But now? Zirasha thinks of her pack. The brutal Imperial of the Zero Legion Tyranius who gave her justice for what had been done to her, who pushed her toward control but made sure she was safe and taken care of in that cave, Tyranius, who discarded his own Prince for this pack. Viperish Night, the one she followed because he promised her such carnage to a world she hated so much. But Viperish Night was not some evil creature, but a tortured soul who no longer knew any way to be, no other path to travel down. His darkness sent delightful chills down her blood but part of her felt his pain as well. And Jez... Zirasha never had many friends and no close ones at all. The moment Mannimarco brought her helpless and unaware to Viperish Night Zirasha wanted to take care of her, for she reminded Zirasha of herself. Broken past the point of a perfect recovery. No one had been there to help Zirasha when she shattered, she had decided that Jeziasi would have someone looking out for her, someone who would not mind if she pieced herself back imperfect. And when Jeziasi at last woke, Zirasha just wanted to be near her. Jeziasi was fire and wild and her love knew no boundaries. Zirasha never knew love like that, never knew a mother could love their child to the extent Jeziasi did. Zirasha had told Jeziasi they were not friends...but they were. Zirasha turns back to Habasi. "I should, but they will die when Viperish Night sets his armies loose," Zirasha whispers, and suddenly she wishes Habasi could avoid the storm that was to come. Habasi had always been kind.  
Habasi hears it in her voice. "That is what you want?" Habasi asks.  
"Once..." Zirasha hisses. "But now... I just want to be with my pack." Zirasha's eyes move to Habasi and they start to glow as Zirasha takes control of the Khajiit's mind. "Sleep, Habasi. When you wake you won't remember this night. You won't remember I was here." Habasi turns from Zirasha and pads quietly to her room and Zirasha looks once more at her parent's room before bursting into mist and heading back to her true family.

Zirasha mist in front of the cave and Viperish Night is sitting on a rock as the first faint traces of light emerge on the horizon. Viperish Night looks up at her and tilts his head as he regards her. Zirasha moves to him and sits on a nearby rock and lowers her head. "I...they don't deserve to see me, Viperish Night," Zirasha whispers. "Even in their last moments. Let your armies be the ones who end them. They are not my family." Zirasha looks over at Viperish Night. "This pack is my family," she states firmly.  
Viperish Night's eyes stare into hers. "I could never do that. Never let another kill my Egg-Father or my former mentor."  
"They hurt you, Viperish Night," Zirasha whispers. "Hurt you, destroyed you, shattered you. Broke you in every way that matters, they deserve nothing less." Zirasha brings her knees up and wraps her arms around them. "I destroyed the ones who broke me, but my parents did not destroy me. They just did not love me, or care that I had been broken, and when I made myself imperfect, they forgot all about me." Zirasha's eyes turn from Viperish Night's to stare into the early morning. "I still hate this world, though." Zirasha hisses.  
Viperish Night slowly blinks a few times. "This world is torture," he replies. "I must quiet it but..." Viperish Night's eyes move to Zirasha. "My pack...brings me a small drop of peace." Viperish Night turns his eyes from her and lowers his head. "If it was enough to stop the screaming, the agony...maybe." Viperish Night hisses, the sound of the waves nearly drowning out his whisper.  
Zirasha's hand clenches and unclenches and she slowly moves it to put it over Viperish Night's. "We'll stay with you until the end, Viperish Night. No matter how it ends." Zirasha swallows. "This is the first time I've been any kind of happy in so long. Even with the pain, even with all the horrible things, there is still joy in this. It's so strange."  
Viperish Night smiles, fangs glimmering in the dawn's light. "It is so very mad. We will swim in it until we drown everything, or until it drowns us."

Night falls the following night and thick fog rolls in soon after covering the shore and all those who came to wage war on this part of Summerset. The Maormer ships sail in silently and scores of the sea elves congregate on the shores even as Viperish Night raises the undead from land and sea. Long lost sailors, strange creatures from the deep, and the dead of Summerset, all come to his call, bones rattling and eyes glowing with the familiar necromantic glow. Viperish Night and his pack march toward Lillandril with the undead and the Maormer all around them.  
It is so very quiet, almost too quiet. Viperish Night's eyes dart around and then he turns his head to regard Tyranius. "Pup, don't like this," Tyranius responds to Viperish Night's questioning look as they reach the docks of Lillandril, where not a single soul stirs strange for a dock even this late. Before Viperish Night can respond a blinding flash of golden light suddenly bursts into existence blinding and all-consuming. When it finally fades Viperish Night and his pack find themselves out of Lillandril in the hilly plains. Viperish Night hisses and his staff glows as he summons his undead to follow them up into the hills. Down in the docks Commander Ikhil turns to follow the undead, shouting orders to his storm mages to break a storm down upon Summerset. But his orders come far too late, for silent shadowy figures come out of the gloom and fog, and dark blades find their way across the storm mage's throats, and into their hearts silencing the storm before it can even begin. A battle cry echos from the fog next, and Lion Guard and Dominion forces descend upon the invading Maormer.  
In the hills, Viperish Night steps forward, his eyes narrowed as he hisses. The fog starts to dissipate as Iveryni walks from the darkness staff in hand, her crimson gaze narrowed right back. As the dead start to stream up the hill to their master Iveryni's eyes start to glow and she tilts her head back and screams and flames erupt from her staff and from Iveryni herself to lash out all around the hilly plains, setting it all to tinder the flames growling as they feed on Summerset. The flames fan out too quickly for anyone to react, setting some of the undead ablaze and to so much ash. The flames streak toward Viperish Night's pack and they are forced to scatter as the flames pursue them and cut them off from one another.

Iveryni sinks to her knees, the flames encircling her, protecting her from sight and attack. Softly-Speckled-Crab, Theodyn, and Rufico appear from the flames behind her. The inferno Iveryni has unleashed is Daedric flames, and she is in full control of them. They will harm their enemies, but her allies will be able to move freely through them. "You know who to target," Iveryni says. "Follow the plan this time, and we will win. As soon as I recover my strength I will join the battle. End this and take them down before Viperish Night sets his army loose upon all of Tamriel."  
Theodyn stalks toward the flames, Rufico at his back, a silent shadow, until he feels the need to ask. "Theodyn, have you recovered enough from that neat teleporting stunt you pulled?"  
Theodyn pauses briefly. "Yes," he says tightly. "Let us finish the damn necromancer so I can go after the Vestige."  
"One-track mind," Rufico mutters under his breath as he follows Theodyn through the flames.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab spares Iveryni a worried glance before she sets out. "Iveryni, will you be alright?" Softly-Speckled-Crab asks.  
Iveryni lowers her head. "As long as I serve my Prince, this body will contain me, and all the power I now wield," Iveryni says softly, her words almost lost to the sound of the inferno she birthed.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab frowns at her words before turning and walking through the flames.

"Damn fire witch," Tyranius growls as he glances around, finding himself alone and cut off from the others, again. Tyranius turns as footsteps step from the flames and the lithe form of Softly-Speckled-Crab stops before him. Tyranius stares at her. "Huh...I expected you brats to divide and conquer again, but did not expect you to be the one to face me." Tyranius tells her as he raises his scythe.  
"Is that not the point?" Softly-Speckled-Crab says, as her claws grip her staff. "I would ask you to stand down, but there never has been mercy in you, has there?" Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses at him.  
Tyranius shrugs. "Mercy is for the heroes," he tells her, "heroes end up dead or broken. Not for me."  
The ground starts to shake and roots surge from it so fast, Tyranius has no time to react as they wrap around him in an intensely tight embrace. "You talk too much," Softly-Speckled-Crab snaps, then blinks. "You will forgive my tone. All of nature is in pain from my friend's fire, but it was the only way, and they will still fight for me, and fight your kind of evil."

Zirasha stands alone, her crimson gaze glittering as they come from the flames all around her, encircling her. Fighters Guild, various races, but all armed with crossbows pointed at her. Zirasha smiles. "So you must be so-called vampire hunters," Zirasha hisses. "You can try, but you still will die." The hunters let loose the cross bolts at her and Zirasha mists and reforms, again and again, to rake her claws across their throats, blood spraying into the air as they fall backward. More cross bolts fly and Zirasha dodges before plunging into their midst like a tornado of fangs teeth and bloodthirsty delight.

The tiniest flash is the only sign of danger. Viperish Night spins and one of his undead skeletons that survived the flames onset springs forth, taking the dagger meant for him. Rufico leaps back and regards Viperish Night, the black blade shimmering darkly in his hand. Viperish Night hisses as the sound of a sword being drawn alerts him to the danger behind him. His eyes dart back and he turns slightly. Theodyn with Dawnbreaker in his hands is glaring at them with utter loathing and hate. So this time they come for him, instead of his Egg-mother. Viperish Night's fangs shimmer as he smiles at them. "I will rend you to silence and death for putting your hands on my Egg-mother," Viperish Night hisses with deadly intent.  
"She chose this!" Theodyn snarls at him. "Chose you over Nirn, you, an abomination that should have never been hatched."  
"Enough, Theodyn," Rufico says. "Silence and death are all he should receive from us."A cry from beyond the flames that quickly changes into a howl ensnares Theodyn's attention and his eyes move from Viperish Night to the flames and what lies beyond him. "Theodyn, do not do it," Rufico says. Too late, for Theodyn suddenly dashes from the fight and through the flames. "Damn it..." Rufico says as he turns attention back to Viperish Night.  
Viperish Night laughs. "So much for your pack. To leave you alone before me." Viperish Night hisses as more undead surge from the ground and moves to encircle Rufico. Rufico turns attention to the skeletons and spins into deadly motion as the undead come for him.

Theodyn did intend to follow the plan. But the howl of the Vestige enraged him and he ran through the flames to find her. She's standing over a small group of the Lion Guard, all of them are dead at her feet. "VESTIGE!" Theodyn snarls and Jeziasi's attention snaps to him. Theodyn charges at her, Dawnbreaker swinging in a deadly arc. Jeziasi snarls and ducks under it. Theodyn's rage blinding him and Jeziasi takes advantage of it as he stumbles from the missed strike she slams her paw into his helm, driving him to the ground with a clatter.  
Jeziasi stands over his fallen form and growls softly as he lies there out cold from her heavy blow. Jeziasi's golden eyes stare at him. Easy prey now...and she knew it would come to this. Knew her jaws would have to snap on their necks. Jeziasi wills the wolf to take over utterly as she kicks him over on his back, exposing his throat to her fangs. She prepares to leap upon him and end him but a golden shimmer pauses her as Darien appears before her. "Can you see me? Please tell me you can see me, Jeziasi," Darien pleads.  
Jeziasi stumbles backward and her fur melts into flesh as she stares at the transparent figure before her. "D...Darien?" she breaths.  
"In the flesh!" Darien declares, then pauses. "Uh...well not in the flesh." Darien shrugs. "Just hanging on Jeziasi. Trying to smack some sense into Meridia's new champion. You really pissed Meridia off, you know?"  
"I..." Jeziasi trails off.  
"I know, Jeziasi," Darien says. "Not going to judge. Just wanted to, you know, see my friend again."  
Jeziasi closes her eyes briefly remembering Summerset, Darien sacrificing his life to help her stop Nocturnal. Jeziasi slowly opens her eyes. "I..." she starts again, but again words fail.  
"Missed me?" Darien says with a small laugh. "I know, anyone would miss this handsome mug." His voice turns wistful. "Never got to buy you and Leythen those drinks."  
"Darien," Jeziasi says, "You helped me back then. Helped save all of Nirn, but you died." Jeziasi's eyes cloud with sorrow as she thinks of the past, of those who fought by her side, only to fall why she lived.  
"Hey!" Darien says. "This should be a happy reunion!" At Jeziasi's stare, Darien shrugs. "Right...this..." Jeziasi stares at him some more and he shrugs.  
"I...have to get back to my son," Jeziasi says softly as her gaze turns back to Theodyn. "I have to protect him."  
Darien follows her gaze. "Do you have to kill him? Could you maybe wait?" he asks. "Meridia broke him. I kinda want to try and fix him first."  
Jeziasi snarls softly. "Let him go? Do you have any idea..." she growls more. "I will not risk him killing my son."  
"Jez..." Darien says, looking at her with a lost gaze. "That's going to happen regardless of who's the one to do it."  
Jeziasi's eyes darken. "Don't you think I know that?" Jeziasi says. "No way out, no way to save him. But I will still try, even if all I can do is stay by his side."  
"Stay by his side and comment atrocities, mass murder, Jeziasi, this is not you. You're a hero." Darien says.  
"Not anymore. Not if it means turning my back on my son," Jeziasi says.  
"It's going to destroy you," Darien responds. "You have to know that too."  
"I know, Darien," Jeziasi says softly. "I... no longer care if it does. As long as I am with him until the end. And I will do anything to stay by his side, anything for him."  
"Viperish Night... he must be worth it then," Darien says and shakes his head. "You always did go all out. You make a scary villain, Jeziasi. Glad I don't have to fight you. Not sure if I could." Jeziasi stares at him and smiles briefly before her eyes start to shift from crystal to gold as she turns from her friend to Theodyn. Darien steps in front of her. "Please, Jez. Just let him go once. Just once! I won't ask this again."  
"Darien," Jeziasi breaths, agony in her voice. "I cannot for so many reasons. And you cannot stop me, you know this."  
Darien gazes at her lost and starts to speak but a low growl interrupts him as a flash of tawny fur leaps through the flames at Jeziasi. Jeziasi turns as the Khajiit leaps upon her and the two tumble to the ground in a mess of fur and blades. Darien yelps and then watches face full of regret. He remembers the Khajiit Razum-dar from Summerset, he and Jeziasi had been friends. To see them like this, trying to kill each other. The world seems to shake and Darien finds he can no longer remain in form and vanishes back into Dawnbreaker.  
Razum-dar's claws at the side of her throat, the bright flash of pain. Jeziasi snarls and throws him off, Jeziasi leaps up, blood dripping from her neck. "Razum-dar," she breaths, head spinning. Running into both on this night... almost too much.  
Razum-dar walks toward her and withdraws his sword. "Old friend," Razum-dar says coldly. "Fight this one as you are, or will you turn your wolf on Razum-dar too?"

The ice blades spin into existence slicing through the roots. Tyranius stomps on them and then looks at Softly-Speckled-Crab. "Did they feel that?" Tyranius says with a laugh.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab snarls. "You are cruel without cause or reason," Softly-Speckled-Crab says and vines emerge from the ground to try and ensnare Tyranius.  
Tyranius slices through them with ease with his scythe and laughs again. "They sent the nature lizard after me, really?" Tyranius says. "Bad news for you, lizard. I'm the gardener." Tyranius slices his scythe through the air as he stalks toward Softly-Speckled-Crab and then charges at her in a burst of speed.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab's eyes never leave his, even though Tyranius's helm hides his eyes. Softly-Speckled-Crab raises one hand and the ground shakes violently before a tree erupts into being from the ground. Tyranius's scythe slams into it and sinks deep into the bark. Tyranius snarls as he tries to pull it out but Softly-Speckled-Crab summons more vines and roots to wrap around his limbs and his neck. As they tighten and slowly start to choke off his air, the ice blades waver and vanish.

Many of the Fighters Guild lay dead at Zirasha's feet and she starts to leap from the rest when the flames intensify and streak out. Zirasha leaps back at vampiric speed, but the flames are somehow faster and soon encircle her completely. Zirasha whirls around, hissing angrily.  
"Vampires do not care for fire, do they?" Iveryni says as she steps in front of Zirasha the view in part blocked by the flames. "Even an original can perish in my flames," Iveryni says. "You will be nothing but ash and dust when I am done with you."  
Zirasha stills and smiles at Iveryni. "I did not make the same mistake as last time," Zirasha says with a hiss. "I feasted before the battle on Altmer I found alone in the dark!" The night before as Zirasha returned to her pack, she feasted on Altmer she found wandering in the night. Combined with the Fighter's Guild blood running through her, it's more than enough. Zirasha throws her head back and laughs. "See if you can burn my glorious imperfect monster up, mage! Just see!" The transformation once more grips her and the monster emerges from the woman. Zirasha laughs again and leaps through the flames at Iveryni.

The last of the skeletons fall and Rufico once more turns to Viperish Night. "You may be right about us, but I have another family. One who won't turn tail on me." Rufico's voice is cold, but a trace of hurt runs through it. Rufico stares at Viperish Night as shadowy figures emerge from the flame, silent and deadly garbed in the Dark Brotherhood armor, hoods pulled up so only their cold eyes can be seen. The bloody work of dispatching the storm mages done, they now come to help murder Viperish Night. "We are aware it was Molag Bal who took our brother from us. We'll deal with that in time after we deal with you. You want silence so badly?" Rufico smirks. "We'll give it to you."  
Viperish Night's eyes dart from him to the assassins approaching from all sides. Far too many, far too few dead, for the flames, incinerated most of them and it will take time for the skeletons Viperish Night called to replace them to come. Viperish Night knows it's too soon since the last time and the last thing he wishes is to surrender, to submit, but either he submits to death now, or the monstrous form that forces him into the furthest depths. Suddenly the Dark Brotherhood members move, springing on Viperish Night from all sides. Viperish Night's blades are out in moments and he dives from the first, engages the second and his sword is soon buried in the assassins' chest. The rest converge on him then, throwing knives with deadly precision to slice into flesh and scales, blades seeking his death from all sides. Viperish Night snarls and a burst of necromantic power flings the assassins from him as he transforms, once more diving back into the furthest depths to escape certain death and silence those who would silence him.

Jeziasi's daggers clash with Razum-dar's sword, a dance of steel and resolve, once friends now bitter enemies. Jeziasi springs backward and narrowly misses his next strike, her eyes lock onto Razum-dar's. The last thing she wants is to kill him, but even though the flames, she can feel eyes upon her. Even fighting Razum-dar as she is a weakness she cannot afford. Pain crosses her eyes and she springs at Razum-dar and the two once more crash to the ground, weapons flying off into the dark. Jeziasi snatches Razum-dar's ear with her hand, even as his claws dig into her arm. "He is always watching us. I cannot fight fair," Jeziasi snarls softly before she rolls away from Razum-dar and springs up the same moment he does. Her eyes glow golden and her form shifts to become the wolf once more.  
"Oh, dear..." Razum-dar breaths, Jeziasi's whispered words echoing in his ear, as well as blood. Even in her mer form, Jeziasi has always had sharp nails.  
Jeziasi curls her muscles up to pounce, but a Nord battle cry comes through the flames and Jorunn the Skald-King comes charging through the flames to enter the fray, his battle ax slamming down upon Jeziasi. She turns and her claws fly, hitting the battle-ax with a mighty blow, sending the ax flying into the flames. Jorunn roars again and grabs Jeziasi by the throat and slams her to the ground. "You was an ally to all of us once, now you are our enemy." Jorunn states. Jeziasi snarls and breaks free from his hold and leaps upon him and the two crash to the ground in a rolling frenzy. Razum-dar scoops up his sword and as the two break free from each other and spring up Jorunn turns to Razum-dar. "Get the boy out of here. We'll finish this." Nords pour through the flames armed with every weapon imaginable, and Razum-dar looks at Jeziasi one last time before running past her to grab Theodyn and race to escape through the flames.

The assassins lie dead or near death at Viperish Night's feet and Rufico stands among them, blood dripping from various wounds. His eyes are filled with dark anger as he snarls. His sanctuary was near the ocean, keeping the Maormer down and ensuring they brought no more storm mages that could douse Iveryni's flames, but other sanctuaries had sent their own at Rufico's unusual call, for these most unusual times. To be set to war like this...was not the Dark Brotherhood's way, but still, the Night Mother baid them for she and The Dread Father would not let Molag Bal's insult to them stand, nor would they let him claim all the souls of Nirn for Coldharbour. Viperish Night hisses and turns toward Rufico. "Damn it, Theodyn." Rufico breaths. This was why they needed Theodyn here, against Viperish Night. Why...Rufico needed him by his side. Rufico's eyes dart around, some of the assassin's still live. So Rufico flees through the flames, and just as he hopes Viperish Night leaps in after him, the Daedric flames having no effect on him in his current form.

Jeziasi slams her head into the Skald-King's head and sends him staggering back and Jeziasi then spins upon the Nords, slicing at them with claws and leaping to set jaws upon their necks. More come, and still, she fights, becoming a whirlwind of claws, fangs, and fur. Her eyes burn with the fires of the hunt, her fur almost seems to glow in the fire's light. Strength flows through her and the Nords before her fall left and right before her, though she does not remain unscathed, numerous slashes from swords and axes dot her pelt, staining it crimson. Jorunn shakes off her blow and stalks toward Jeziasi and she whirls and smiles the wolf's grin. This is truly a hunt, against worthy foes. Jeziasi lets it take her and howls as she surges at Jorunn, dodging his blow from his battle-ax. Her jaws snap on its long hilt and she snatches it from his grip and flings it into the flames. Jeziasi pounces at Jorunn and he pounces back and the two wrestle, Jeziasi's jaws snapping at his face, his powerful grip keeping her claws from her flesh. A snarl from Jeziasi and with a mighty shove she pushes him to the ground and prepares to pounce, but before she can descend on the kill Thalmor forces surge through the flames followed by Bosmer archers. One arrow hits her shoulder and Jeziasi howls in pain before turning on the new threat.

Viperish Night pauses in his chase as Jeziasi's howl of pain rings out across the battlefield. With a surge of power chilling screeches rip across the night and griffin skeletons pour through the flames with such speed they endure the fire to join in on the chaotic battle. Viperish Night turns on Rufico again and charges giving chase through the Daedric flames that no longer seem so painfully hot in this form.

Tyranius struggles against the vines and roots and black spots start appearing before his eyes. He tilts his head back trying to regain enough air to summon his blades but the vines just tighten more. A shadow bursts through the fire followed by a roar straight out of Oblivion as Rufico races past Tyranius, followed by Viperish Night in his nightmarish bone colossus form. Viperish Night's glowing eyes dart to Tyranius, then fall on Softly-Speckled-Crab and he leaps landing before her and lashes out with his claws, slicing through her scales and flesh and sending her flying backward. Rufico swears and leaps, catching her in his arms, and sets her down. Softly-Speckled-Crab's hand presses against her bloody shoulder. "Still good," she hisses as she stares up at Viperish Night. As soon as she speaks the words, mages from the guild and Dunmer from the Ebonheart pack stream through the flames.  
The vines and roots give once Viperish Night attacks Softly-Speckled-Crab and Tyranius shrugs out of them before summoning his scythe to his hands. "Hope you can stay that way longer now, pup," Tyranius says as he re-summons his ice blades which spin around him. The Mage's waste no time in letting loose with all their fury and Viperish Night roars, pulsing energy flowing around him and Tyranius, blocking the first volley. Skeleton griffins suddenly burst through the flames and set upon the mages. Tyranius tilts his head back and laughs and his ice blades flash ahead of him as he charges into the mage's mist with his scythe, bringing bloody ruin to them as he dodges their varied attacks.

The Bosmer archers scatter as the skeleton griffins leap out of the flames upon them, tearing them with beak and talon. Jeziasi whirls and turns on the Thalmor and with a mighty roar she leaps into their mist with wild abandon causing bloody carnage to those who had come for her pack on this night. A few Nords stumble up, and grab their king, moving him away from the fight, despite his protests. 

Flames surround Zirasha and lava pools at her feet forcing her into the air where Iveryni deludes her with fireballs. Zirasha whirls from the intense blasts and snarls. Her form seems to shimmer as with an intense burst of speed she bursts through the firestorm and is upon Iveryni in an instant her fangs sinking deep into the side of the Dunmer's neck. A moment later Zirasha stumbles back from Iveryni and shrieks in agony, continuing to stumble backward until she falls to the ground convulsing and clutching her throat as her monstrous form leaves her. Zirasha's head hits the ground and her eyes roll backward. Iveryni stalks toward her. "Some things you should not eat," Iveryni hisses as her eyes glow red, her staff burning with intense light as she prepares to end the vampire in Daedric flames.

Jeziasi's head snaps up from the ruination she made of the Thalmor as Zirasha's utter scream of agony pierces through the flames. Jeziasi spins and runs in the direction bursting through the fire ignoring the searing pain as she skids to a stop. One look tells Jeziasi all she needs to know. Zirasha sprawled on the ground, Iveryni about to end her. Jeziasi howls and leaps and Iveryni swirls and flames engulf Jeziasi. Jeziasi's eyes glow as Jeziasi powers through and throws herself on Iveryni, her jaws snapping around the Dunmer's robe. With a mighty swing of her head, Jeziasi throws Iveryni through the flames. Before Iveryni can come charging back a shadow falls over the battlefield as Viperish Night's skeleton dragon dives from the sky straight for Iveryni, who dives to the side as the dragon crashes down and charges her.  
Jeziasi lunges to Zirasha's side. Zirasha's throat is horribly burned and Jeziasi snarls and uses her fangs to rip open one of the wounds in her arms wider and the blood wells up and courses into Zirasha's mouth and before Jeziasi's eyes Zirasha starts to heal. Zirasha's eyes slowly open. "Her...blood's fire." Zirasha breaths. "Don't bite her, Jez."  
Jeziasi gives a werewolf's huff. "Viperish Night's pet dragon can bite her now," Jeziasi says and then a low growl builds up in her throat. "Besides, we have our own things to hunt."  
Zirasha stumbles up and hisses as Orcs and Redguards come from the flames to surround the two. "Could use more blood," Zirasha hisses.

Lithe shapes come from the fire and dart in between the mages. Tyranius turns on them, his scythe cutting one down to fall before his feet. "They are sicking their lizards on us now, pup," Tyranius says with a laugh. "I get to kill everything tonight!"  
Viperish Night hisses as a feral grin crosses his face. He surges forward and grabs an Argonian by the throat, holding him up in the air as he kicks at Viperish Night's grip. "I like killing Argonian's" Viperish Night hisses as he snaps the Argonian's neck before turning on more of them as they surge toward them in a blur of claws and various weapons.  
Tyranius beheads a Dunmer and shouts back at Viperish Night. "Bit too many pup. Can you give us some friends?" His head turns toward the far end of the battle, where Rufico and Softly-Speckled-Crab are standing, so far they've not joined in, save for Softly-Speckled-Crab using vines to drag injured allies past the flames to safety.  
In response to Tyranius's request Viperish Night's eyes glow and Welwa skeletons burst from the ground and charge the Argonian's, Dunmer, and mages, knocking them down and savaging them with bone claws and fangs. Tyranius laughs and leaps to the side amid the mages who are preparing a larger spell, his scythe and ice blades fly as he savages them. Viperish Night turns toward the remaining Argonian's, his hand rises and a glowing blue orb of Daedric energy erupts from it and sends the Argonian's flying in every direction. Viperish Night throws his head back and laughs at the utter carnage.

Zirasha darts amongst the Redguards, siphoning their blood and once she's regained enough blood she falls upon them, their screams cutting short as she savages their throats with fangs and claws. Jeziasi barrels amid the Orcs sending them crashing down upon the ground. Most rise and charge her once more screaming warrior cries as they eagerly face off against the werewolf, weapons flying. Jeziasi dodges and attacks right back, their blood spraying the ground, as well as hers. She howls into the night to her son, and in response, more skeleton griffins burst through the flames along with Welwa skeletons to come to her aid and set upon the remaining Orcs and Redguards.

Iveryni dives under the skeleton dragon's claws and fire chains erupt from the ground to wrap around the dragon. Iveryni grits her teeth as she contains its thrashing form. The dragon wavers before her sight, Iveryni knows she is at her limit, in fact well beyond it. From the flames, the Breton forces surge and the Lion Guard advance to help her against the dragon. "No," Iveryni snaps at them. "Go after the werewolf and the vampire, they are just beyond the flames. I'll hold the dragon back." The Lion Guard captain nods at her and they stream past her and the dragon to dive into the flames.

Jeziasi pants hard dead Orcs all around her, brutely savaged by her claws and fangs, and the undead sent to aid her. Her golden eyes stare at him, her wolf calls to her, calls her to feast and regain her strength and she finds herself tempted. Blood mats her fur from numerous injuries and her energy wanes. But since her wolf returned to her, since she has been following her son in bloody carnage, she has only fed the wolf after on prey that was not the innocent and the heroes she helped kill with her pack. It is a weakness to do this, she knows, but part of her cannot seem to help it and so she turns from the bodies to Zirasha, who's feasting on the last Redguard left alive.  
A battle cry comes from beyond the flames and the Lion Guard stream from the fire at them. Zirasha drops the Redguard and hisses at the Lion Guard and Jeziasi steps forward, growling. The hunt continues and she feels renewed strength pouring through her as she howls a battle cry of her own. The dead Orcs and Redguards suddenly rise from flesh and blood as skeletons and Jeziasi spares them a glance. Her son's power only grows. He must be fighting his own battle, yet the dead still rise to aid her. Jeziasi pushes away a spike of fear at the knowledge and charges the Redguard with Zirasha.

The vines pull the injured through the flames and Softly-Speckled-Crab starts to step forward despite her massive injury to do more, but Rufico grabs her uninjured arm and holds her back. "Theodyn's down," Rufico states. "He failed to follow the plan, the idiot." Softly-Speckled-Crab turns to look at him, her eyes pleading to let her go. Rufico narrows his eyes. "How many of our forces are left? Enough to win?" he asks. Softly-Speckled-Crab closes her eyes and her head falls and she starts to shake, all the answer Rufico needs. "That's what I thought. Damn it. If Theodyn stayed with me we would have had Viperish Night. Damn him. Damn him to The Void." Rufico swears.  
"What's done is done," Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses. "We cannot change it or bring back the lives lost." Softly-Speckled-Crab opens her eyes to behold the battlefield. It was not only people's lives that were lost. Iveryni had done this horror of fire, to try and stop Viperish Night's bigger horror. But there was still so very much death. Softly-Speckled-Crab sighs sadly and sends the intent for retreat through what remains of the green.  
Rufico opens a dark portal and pauses, his back to Softly-Speckled-Crab. "We may be facing a unwinnable war," Rufico says softly as he crosses through. Softly-Speckled-Crab sighs again and turns to follow him. It cannot be that....for if they lost all would perish. Even the green would fall to the death magic that would infect Nirn perhaps forever. But all she can do for now is follow Rufico, and she feels what remains of their allies leaving as well through their own means and portals.  
Iveryni releases the dragon and releases the flames. She opens a portal and sways slightly as she stumbles through. Her eyes are a fiery mix of rage and regret. They failed, again.

Jeziasi moves her head around watching the remaining survivors flee as the fires die down. Once more the hunt was won, they survived and won over the heroes. Jeziasi's head turns to the east and she bounds off that way, Zirasha following a moment later.  
Tyranius kills the last of the straggles who failed to flee in time and turns toward Viperish Night, who's shedding his monstrous form to return to his normal state. "Damn pup, you bring me to the best battles," Tyranius says with a laugh.  
Viperish Night's fangs glitter as he smiles and with a laugh tinged with frost the fallen rise all around them to join his army. Viperish Night turns from them as Jeziasi bounds to him on all four legs, still in werewolf form. She stops feet from Viperish Night, staring intently into his eyes. "So very many dead, Egg-mother," Viperish Night hisses. "They run from us, flee from my river. Nothing can stop us from swimming in their blood until all their screams cease." Jeziasi flinches his tone, so very cold, as cold as the ice in his eyes. Jeziasi slowly approaches him and then stands placing both front paws on her son's shoulders, her golden eyes inches from his crystal ones. Long moments pass before Viperish Night blinks rapidly, some of the ice thawing. "Egg-mother," he says softly.  
Tyranius coughs slightly and Jeziasi drops in front of Viperish Night a growl building as Swims-in-Silence steps from the shadows, stalking toward him until he stops in front of Viperish Night and Jeziasi. His eyes lock onto Jeziasi. "Again?" Swims-in-Silence hisses.  
"No." Viperish Night hisses definitely and Swims-in-Silence snaps his eyes up onto Viperish Night. "She has proven her loyalty time and time again," Viperish Night says, "She is my pack, as are the others. I will not collar her. She will never turn and bite me." Viperish Night's eyes narrow and he growls in anger. "Binding her would only be for your benefit, Egg-father. And I refuse to give you that pleasure any longer. She will heed my commands, so you have no reason to fear her bite. Yet."  
Swims-in-Silence narrows his eyes in anger. "Such defiance. First, you break my toy, now this?" His eyes move to Jeziasi. "You are loyal to our son, my mate," he says.  
Jeziasi slowly nods her head, though the murderous fury never leaves her eyes.  
Swims-in-Silence stares into those eyes and then speaks again, softly. "Jeziasi."  
Jeziasi freezes. His voice has changed, the tone he is now using... chills run down her fur as memories of Shadowfen threaten to overwhelm her. How when she was with him his voice would change when he told her to sleep, and she obeyed every time. What she did not know then was that he compelled her too, to keep her instincts at bay, to keep her from realizing the horrific truth of it. And what else had he done when she slept? A growl threatens to spill out over her, but this is the moment she knew was coming. He seeks to test her, to see if she will still be compelled by him. She can feel it now, the insidious nature of the bond he trapped her in, but she also knows now she can fight it, break any command he tries to give her. But... she must not. He must think he has her, has power over them all. So she hides her growl and just stares at him unmoving.  
Swims-in-Silence moves closer to her. "You don't feast on your enemies any longer, Jeziasi," he says as his eyes dart to the grass nearby, where one of the Dunmer is still alive, abit barely. "Jeziasi, kill him, feast on him my mate. You like Dunmer."  
Jeziasi turns toward the Dunmer and with one leap she's on top of him, her jaws snapping across his throat, silencing him. Then she buries her jaws into his flesh, feeding the wolf and pretending to be under thrall, as she was in Shadowfen. One day, her jaws would snap across his throat.  
Viperish Night's eyes fill with anger and he stalks toward Swims-in-Silence. Necromantic energy flows down him and across the ground and the dead turn toward Swims-in-Silence with a bone-rattling hiss. "She is mine, Egg-father. You have no right to her. NONE." Viperish Night snarls.  
"I wanted you strong, my son, but this level of defiance? I will not have it." Swims-in-Silence hisses. Swims-in-Silence's eyes glow and Viperish Night throws his head back and howls. "Kneel," Swims-in-Silence commands. "Submit."  
Viperish Night tries to fight the agony coursing through his veins, but soon his Egg-father's voice is all he can hear and he's forced to his knees. Viperish Night digs his claws into the dirt as his head drops. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Zirasha and Tyranius start to move and he hisses at them, and they freeze.  
Swims-in-Silence moves closer to Viperish Night and runs his claws down his face. "Do you think I would make a spawn I could not control? I would rather you keep doing what your doing, but do not think you can defy me as well," Swims-in-Silence says, his claws tracing over Viperish Night's scales. Viperish Night's eyes move up to Swims-in-Silence, filled with utter fury and rage. Swims-in-Silence smiles at it. "Tell me one thing. Would you relinquish this strength?" Swims-in-Silence asks.  
Viperish Night's eyes widen slightly and then he drops his head. "No...Egg-father." Viperish Night whispers. "I need it. I need it to stop the screaming, stop this mad living world."  
Swims-in-Silence laughs. "That is what I thought. You will have even more if you submit then if you fight me. Remember that." Swims-in-Silence turns and a portal opens, he crosses it and is gone.  
Viperish Night hisses angrily as he staggers up and opens a portal back to their home, stalking through it. Jeziasi follows him, with Zirasha and Tyranius right behind her. 

-Skyrim Tomb-  
Once they return Viperish Night moves to the throne and stands there looking at it and soft pad steps follow him as Jeziasi moves to his side and after long moments he turns to her and kneels, wrapping his arms around Jeziasi's furry form, shaking.  
Tyranius lays a hand on Zirasha's shoulder. "Let's let them be," Tyranius says softly, and Zirasha nods and follows Tyranius out of the throne room.  
Zirasha walks silently behind him until he gets to his room and he pauses at the entrance and glances back at her. Tyranius shrugs and enters, sitting on the bed. Zirasha comes in slowly and looks around briefly before leaning against the wall. Her crimson eyes lock onto Tyranius. "War is all you desire," Zirasha softly states.  
Tyranius shrugs again and lies back, arms crossed under his head. "It makes me feel alive. Nothing makes me happier than bloody conflict, bodies dropping at my feet."  
Zirasha laughs a little then winces. Her throat still tender from trying to drink Iveryni's blood. "Being free of fear...having others behold me and fear me instead...that's what makes me feel alive and not so broken." Zirasha falls silent, her thoughts turning to Viperish Night. "Viperish Night... do you think he feels joy in all this?" Zirasha frowns. "At times it seems so, but..." she trails off. During the battles, the times he's laughed, delighted in the carnage. And then after, quiet and brooding as if the bloody work starts to claw at him.  
"He's a tortured soul," Tyranius says. "Tormented by demons real and imagined. Such men can bring the world to utter ruin with their madness." Tyranius glances at Zirasha. "You know as well as I do he's mad. That following him will likely destroy us all.  
Zirasha hisses and crosses her arms across her chest. "I know my reason, but why?" she asks him.  
"He brings the most bloodthirsty war I could ever want, girl. Good way to go out, if those brats ever get it together." Tyranius says with a laugh.  
"...I don't want it to end, Tyranius." Zirasha whispers. "I do not want our pack to end." Zirasha bites her lip and looks away so Tyranius cannot see the pain in her eyes.  
"Girl," Tyranius says, "You know this can't have a happy ending for us. We'll leave in boxes, one way or the other."  
"I know that!" Zirasha snaps. "I will never leave this pack. We fall together. I just wish there was another way now." Zirasha hisses angrily, more so at herself than anything else. "It is foolish thoughts, I know this."  
Tyranius is quiet before speaking again. "Pup got an unfair roll of the dices. Fitting he makes the world suffer for it. Least he has us and his Egg-mother. He won't be alone." Zirasha's eyes move back to Tyranius and he sighs again. "That's never going to happen," he says, changing the subject as he sees into her eyes a truth.  
"I know!" Zirasha snaps. "It is enough she's my friend." Zirasha hisses at Tyranius, "And you should not just know that! No one should know that but me!"  
"In your eyes, girl," Tyranius says amused.  
"Change the subject or I will bite you," Zirasha threatens.  
Tyranius laughs. "You already bite me, girl, but very well. Wolfy...glad I don't have to put her on a leash anymore. Pup played that perfectly. Defiance and loyalty to his pack, but a trace of submission that was not forced in the end."  
"Can Jeziasi and Viperish Night break Swims-in-Silence's hold?" Zirasha whispers. "I'm still not sure I can, even transformed. I will try though. I'll be ready to try."  
"Hope so," Tyranius replies. "Can't even test it until we're ready. One-shot at that bastard. One-shot. We'll have to hope we're all ready when the moment strikes."  
"I want to kill him," Zirasha hisses, "But all we can do is help Viperish Night and Jeziasi."  
"Their kill, girl," Tyranius says. "Us two are just backup. Keep Swims-in-Silence's Daedra and anything else he throws at us at bay so Wolfy and Pup can snap their jaws around his neck."  
What he does not say, they both know. Even if they can kill Swims-in-Silence it will not change their path. It will not change the ending. 

Viperish Night stays kneeling by Jeziasi for a time, his arms wrapped around her blood matted furry coat, his claws buried in her fur, and his head resting against hers. "I hate him, Egg-mother," Viperish Night breaths into her coat. "He is the cause of it all, but even killing him won't stop the screaming in my head, the agony in my spine, will it?" Jeziasi whines softly, the pain evident in her voice. She feels him shake with so much anger and so much pain. If she could take it away, promise that it all will be better once Swims-in-Silence is dead she would, but she knows the truth that both of them do, all too clearly. It will not remove the corruption, the part of her son that is so very Daedric, so very much of him.  
Viperish Night pulls back to look into her golden eyes. The eyes of a merciless predator, but also the eyes of a mother who will love him even when there is utterly nothing she can do to save him. "It is enough Egg-Mother," he tells her, "Enough to see the love in your eyes. I will swim back from the furthest depths to you, no matter how hard it is. Until...the end." Viperish Night closes his eyes. "I no longer know how to be anything else but this. Forgive me, Egg-mother. I drown in the river, the river drowns Nirn, the screaming commands me, the ice lures me."  
Jeziasi knows. The corruption and madness that grips him, the torment that causes him to scream and lash out, the ice that offers him peace in submission, and all of it drives him further into utter madness. Only her presence and that of their pack keeps him at least in part here with them. Jeziasi whines again softly, words fail here for she can promise no happy ending, only death awaits them at the end of the river. She once more presses her forehead to his. All she can give him, all she can promise him now, is her unconditional love.  
Viperish Night leans into her. "Let me sleep here tonight, Egg-mother, by your side." Viperish Night whispers into her fur. In response, Jeziasi stretches out and Viperish Night rests his head on her back and drifts into an uneasy sleep.

-Elden Root-

"Again, failed," Iveryni says tiredly sitting at the table in the meeting room of the mage guild. Her eyes snap to Theodyn, and they fill with anger. "Why, Theodyn? Why? We could have had him but once more..." Iveryni slams her fist on the table and rises. "I set fire to Summerset so we could win. So you and Rufico could kill Viperish Night. Why was this so hard to understand?" Iveryni sits back down, nearly falling. "Must I set fire to all of Nirn to save it?"  
"I would prefer you not," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. She sits on the floor, a plate of bread uneaten before her. All she can do is stare at it and remember the screams of the dying and the feel of nature burning. Softly-Speckled-Crab closes her eyes and lowers her head.  
Theodyn glares at Iveryni. "It is what my Prince wants!" Theodyn snaps.  
"That cannot be true," Iveryni insists. "The undead is what Meridia hates. Jeziasi may have helped cause this, but she is not the one raising the undead army!"  
Theodyn throws up his hands. "The Vestige caused all of this, so of course it is her Meridia hates the most!" Theodyn argues.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab opens her eyes and looks up at Theodyn. "Jeziasi," Softly-Speckled-Crab says. "Her name is Jeziasi. The Vestige is just a title. She is more than that. She is a person like us. Tormented and tortured and forced down the only path she can see, for her love for her son blinds her to any others." Softly-Speckled-Crab lowers her head. "If you had a son or a daughter and if you loved them, could you kill them, even to save all of Nirn? Jeziasi is not without much guilt, but she is not the monster your Prince makes her out to be."  
In response, Theodyn just folds his arms over his chest. Rufico, who has been so silent this whole time, finally speaks. "Theodyn... we could have had Viperish Night. Why?" Rufico asks.  
"You know the why of it!" Theodyn says angrily.  
"No," Rufico says. "I mean why did you not follow us?"  
"It's..." Theodyn starts to say and then trails off. Rufico rises and advances on him, a frightening look in his eyes. Theodyn starts backward and Rufico continues to advance on him until Theodyn's back hits the wall.  
"No answer?" Rufico says. "Is that all we deserve from you? Silence and my Prince this, my Prince that? Did she brainwash you that much, Theodyn?" Rufico's eyes narrow as a murderous fury fills them.  
"My Prince did not brainwash me," Theodyn snaps, though there is a trace of fear in his eyes as he stares into Rufico's eyes and sees murder in them. "I am as she wishes me to be, as I need to be."  
"Damn it, Theodyn," Rufico snarls as he moves closer to Theodyn, invading his space.  
"Back off, Rufico," Theodyn snarls, his hand drifting toward Dawnbreaker's hilt.  
Rufico makes no move to back off and is silent for long moments as he stares into Theodyn's eyes. "Where is the Theodyn I knew?" Rufico breaths.  
"As lost as you used to be," Theodyn says coldly.  
"The Dark Brotherhood did not destroy who I was, Theodyn," Rufico says quietly. "They pared me down, cut away the mask, the hollow jokes I used to throw around to mask the pain. I became who I was underneath it all. You? All Meridia did was blind you to your truth, covering you with a mask of righteous hate. This is not you, this is Meridia at her darkest."  
"Shut up!" Theodyn shouts. "You don't know anything! You never did, Rufico." His fingers curl tighter around Dawnbreaker.  
"Break the mask, Theodyn," Rufico says. "Break free of the light and be who you are at your core. Who the light revealed to you before Meridia corrupted it."  
Theodyn starts to withdraw Dawnbreaker. "Back off Rufico, now." Theodyn orders.  
Rufico smirks and his blade is in his hands in a heartbeat and Rufico moves as close as he can get to Theodyn, pressing the knife against Theodyn's throat. Theodyn freezes, Dawnbreaker falling back in its sheath undrawn. Rufico looks coldly at his friend. "If you are not with us..." Rufico breaths, leaving the threat hanging. Theodyn's eyes fill with more anger, but also a sliver of hurt. "There it is," Rufico says and leans in to whisper to Theodyn. "You're still in there, Theodyn."  
Theodyn's eyes harden. "I will strike you down, Rufico." Rufico falls to silence, but his blade never leaves Theodyn's neck. "Back off now," Theodyn says again.  
Rufico's knife presses against Theodyn's neck and a small drop of blood forms. "Will you make me then?" Rufico asks.  
Theodyn's grip on Dawnbreaker tightens, his knuckles white upon it. "Damn it, Rufico," Theodyn says.  
Again Rufico hears the anger, but also the hurt. Rufico smirks again and Theodyn starts to speak but Rufico interrupts him. "Silence," Rufico breaths and leans in closer his lips brushing against Theodyn's before moving in for the kill. Theodyn stiffens in shock and his hand falls from Dawnbreaker as he relaxes in Rufico's kiss, the tension slowly ebbing from him. Rufico breaks it off and stares into Theodyn's eyes, seeing the redness crossing his face. "Not destroyed. Come back to me, Theo," Rufico says before he lowers his knife and turns from Theodyn, walking out of the room.  
Theodyn stays against the wall for long minutes, before he turns and walks out as well, not saying a word, a faint blush still across his face.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab blinks and at last starts to eat a piece of bread. "That is one way to stop a fight," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
Iveryni stares at her. "You do not seem that surprised."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab munches on the bread. "I could see his pain when he returned and found Theodyn in the state he is in, Iveryni. He has loved Theodyn for some time." Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"And Theodyn?" Iveryni asks. "He did not seem to...mind all that."  
Softly-Speckled-Crab sighs softly. "Rufico is right. Theodyn's Prince blinded him. He needs to open his eyes, or we may all be lost." Softly-Speckled-Crab rises and turns to Iveryni. "I know your truth as well, Iveryni."  
Iveryni tiredly rises. "Will you tell the others?"  
"Do you wish them to know?" Softly-Speckled-Crab asks.  
Iveryni shakes her head no as she heads to the door. "They will know at the end of this, Softly-Speckled-Crab. For now, let me keep my secrets. It does not affect our war against Viperish Night." With those last words, she too walks out.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab watches her walk out and then turns back to the bread, though fails to take another piece. They lost, once more. The truth of it was that soon Viperish Night would unleash the dead upon Tamriel enmass, and the whole of Tamriel would be at war with the massive army. The only path to victory was them was to get to Viperish Night and kill him. If he had been alone...but he had a pack with bonds stronger than they currently had. It was enough to turn the tide, each and every time. Softly-Speckled-Crab closes her eyes and sinks her mind into the great Elden Root tree, trying to settle her thoughts and emotions within the living green.

Theodyn paces in his room and Darien watches, having recovered enough strength to come out of Dawnbreaker. He leans against the wall. "Why?" Theodyn snaps.  
Darien stares at him. Even when in Dawnbreaker, he could see what happened outside of it. And he had seen just what Theodyn's friend had done. "You did not just ask that. You did not." Darien says. When Theodyn turns to stare at him, Darien rolls his eyes. "There is being naive, and being stupid, Theodyn. I'm going back into Dawnbreaker. Because you did not just ask that!" Darien throws up his hand and vanishes.  
Theodyn shakes Dawnbreaker a few times before putting it on the bed and laying next to it, his eyes on the ceiling before he closes them to try and sleep. Try and forget about tonight. Though...he cannot seem to forget the feel of Rufico's lips upon his, and how the hate that filled him seemed to lift for a few short moments.


	67. Act 4 - Regrets

-Elden Root-  
Softly-Speckled-Crab rests outside in the grass, the mighty tree at her back. Her eyes close as she swims in her memories, and her fears of what is to come.  
 _Swim the current, Softly-Speckled-Crab._  
Tree-minder Neeseta's words to Softly-Speckled-Crab shortly after Softly-Speckled-Crab had started her training in Star-Song Tribe. Softly-Speckled-Crab had never understood the river as the other Argonian's did, being born so far from the Hist, and had a lot to learn at Star-Song tribe. They taught her many new things and when she was ready, she had sunk into the Hist's river and was changed into life's champion, to be what she needed to be. Softly-Speckled-Crab had always felt deeper than others and always had an innate knowledge of those around her, could even swim into their feelings at times. And now? Softly-Speckled-Crab can feel so much more now. She can feel Nirn. It waits with bated breath, the corruption that has settled deep in its roots from Viperish Night's undead army that lies in wait for his final cleansing of Tamriel. Softly-Speckled-Crab can also feel the undead, but not where they are. Their locations are hidden and protected from her, from any who would seek to destroy them.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab slowly opens her eyes. She wanted this to end, she wanted for them to stop Viperish Night's nightmare and his pain. He drowned the world in it, could not see beyond his agony and despair. But the truth of it was she feared they had lost the window to stop him. To stop this horrific fate. Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses sadly. She and her friends were to be family, was to be pack as Viperish Night's pack was. Instead...this is what they were.  
Soft footsteps has Softly-Speckled-Crab looking toward the woods. The Wyrd, what remains, awaits her. Softly-Speckled-Crab stands and grips her staff and walks up to the young Bosmer woman, Wyress Tiasiesa. Tiasiesa looks at Softly-Speckled-Crab with serious eyes. "We have found the camp of the remnants of the Veiled Heritance. They have been murdering for the necromancer, preparing to help him when he attacks the Dominion."   
Softly-Speckled-Crab bows her head. What will happen must happen. It is a mercy to happen. They may not be able to stop Viperish Night, but they must try anything and everything to do so. Including riding him of his allies. "It is mercy to end them," Softly-Speckled-Crab whispers. "But it is not easy. Lead, Wyress Tiasiesa. We will take care of this." Tiasiesa bows her head and then turns and leads Softly-Speckled-Crab deep into the Valenwood.

In the shadows outside of Elden Root Rufico speaks with Speaker Malkeyranis. "You understand," Speaker Malkeyranis says.  
"We are not meant to fight an open war. And too many have fallen already." Rufico states.  
"We must retreat into the shadows, our Night Mother commands it. Our last task is to take out Ikhil, and I have dispatched our silencer to take care of him. Without him, the Maormer will retreat from Summerset's shores, leaving Viperish Night without their aid in the coming war." Speaker Malkeyranis tells Rufico.  
"I must stay here alone. Understood, Speaker." Rufico says, folding his arms across his chest. The Dark Brotherhood must survive, so they must retreat for now.   
"Rufico," Speaker Malkeyranis says and Rufico looks at him. "You are not alone." Speaker Malkeyranis says as he turns and enters his dark portal.  
Rufico stares at the portal and it's not until it closes that he speaks. "But I am..." Rufico whispers. As hard as he tries to regain his armor, his hard edges...with Theodyn it was no longer possible. Yet Theodyn had not spoken to him since... Rufico frowns. Every time Theodyn saw Rufico he turned and walked away. "Like a blade to the heart," Rufico whispers. The Dark Brotherhood was his family, but Theodyn was his heart. Rufico sighs. If he could destroy this, or at the very least bury it...he needed to. The tipping point had passed, they had failed. Now? Now all they could do was ready themselves for what could be an unwinnable war. Rufico turns and walks silently into the tree. Theodyn may not want to so much as look at him, but they had bloody business to deal with today. Razum-dar had at last found something, the camps where the remnants of the Worm Cult lie in wait to aid Viperish Night. Three large camps. The allegiances and guilds were busy recovering from the bloodbath in Summerset, so it was up to Rufico and Theodyn to take care of it. A small force would meet them near each camp from each allegiance, it should be enough. That is if Theodyn could work with anyone save himself for once.

Iveryni rests in her room far from the others. Before, she had felt a connection with them. After? Iveryni frowns. Had Dagon's flames tried to burn it away? To make her more loyal to him than to Nirn? The thought had crossed her mind. Iveryni closes her eyes remembering the searing flames. How they burned like agony and then how the agony turned to near bliss as she was transformed. In these flames, Dagon's voice had rung out to her. She remembers his words with crystal clarity.   
_Iveryni Rathnil, you will be reborn as my Champion. You will stop Molag Bal's spawn's mad scheme. Nirn is mine, not his." Dagon's voice had then turned darker, sending forboding down her spine. "Do not forget two things, Iveryni Rathnil. One, your mortal body was injured past the point of recovery by normal means. Two, you are my champion. For this conflict, and what comes after._  
Iveryni was forbidden from speaking of this. Of what was coming, that is if Viperish Night was stopped. Molag Bal send the world into chaos, Mehrunes Dagon intended to do the same, and the Daedric Prince of Destruction demanded her by his side, loyal to him. Iveryni was to save Nirn...and then help bring it to destruction under her Prince's flag. Iveryni knows that at the very least Mehrunes Dagon's plans would not destroy all mortal life but...Iveryni lowers her head her hair falling in her face. She could not disobey her Prince. He held her in chains she could not break, for she walked into them of her own accord, to save Nirn and to be what she needed to be. No regrets on that, but regrets of what the future may hold? So very many.   
Iveryni takes a deep breath and rises. Enough laminating. Her fate was what it was. "Deimyite," Iveryni says. A Daedric portal snaps open and the Daedra steps out. "You have them," Iveryni says. Not a question, as she sees the truth in his eyes. He has found what she asked him to seek.  
"The four Reachmen clans you asked us to seek," Deimyite says with a delighted smile. "They lurk in Skyrim, waiting for Viperish Night to lay siege to it. More Clans plan to join them, but once we destroy the clans that have already alliged with the necromancer, they will rethink their position on joining the war." Deimyite's dark gaze seeks Iveryni, seeking the darkness within them that is needed for what is to come. "You know what we must do."  
Iveryni meets his gaze. "Annihilation," she says. "Nothing short of that will keep the Reachmen from joining with Viperish Night. We will kill every last one of them." Iveryni grabs her staff from the bed.   
"We will follow your command, Iveryni Rathnil," Deimyite says. "We cannot in mass in force upon Nirn, but you will have enough Daedra to do what is needed." Deimyite turns and enters the portal and Iveryni follows him. 

Theodyn stalks around his room and finally slams his hand into the wall. "Damn it why won't she answer me?" Theodyn snarls.   
Darien coalesces out of the sword and leans against the wall. "Because I am blocking you," Darien says with a grin.  
"Damn you!" Theodyn yells at him. "Let me talk to my Prince! NOW!" Theodyn pauses and stares at Darien. "How can you do that? You are not!"  
"Am I?" Darien says with a laugh. "Or perhaps Meridia just does not want to speak to you."   
Theodyn snarls again. "Which one is it?"  
Darien sighs the grin falling from his face. "I do not know." Darien shrugs. "Perhaps Molag Bal is blocking her somehow?" As Darien sees Theodyn getting angrier he sighs again. "Theodyn, Viperish Night, and his pack are not on Molag Bal's side." Darien thinks about that for a few moments before correcting himself. "Well... it's complicated anyway."  
"Just go back in the sword then, since your useless," Theodyn commands.   
Darien falls silent for a few moments before speaking. "Just as your friends are useless? As Rufico is?" Darien finally says.  
"Do not speak to me of him!" Theodyn snaps.   
"Why not?" Darien asks.  
"He..." Theodyn says, his face turning red. "He threatened me! Attacked me!"  
Darien grins. "And he kissed you. Let us not forget that part." Darien laughs as Theodyn snarls at him again. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I prefer the ladies. But Rufico has that dark brooding thing going on. And he's not bad on the eyes either. You could do a lot worse." Theodyn just stares at him and Darien's grin fades again. "In all seriousness, he loves you," Darien says. "And he's trying to reach you. Why is that so hard for you to understand?" Theodyn turns his back on Darien and folds his arms across his chest. Again, Darien sighs. "Figure it out. One thing people hate is being strung along. Decide how you feel about this, and tell him."  
"There is no time for this!" Theodyn snaps.  
"...Theodyn, the world is ending. There is always time for this when the world is ending." Darien says with a shake of his head. Theodyn looks back at him and briefly, Darien can see the lost look on Theodyn's face before the mask slams back down.   
"Back in Dawnbreaker, Darien," Theodyn says. "I have Worm Cultists to kill." Theodyn turns and grits his teeth. He has no issues with killing the traitors to life, but the fact he has to fight with Rufico. Rufico who attacked him! Rufico who...confuses him so much. Who makes the mask slip, who makes Theodyn feel something other than cold light and righteous anger and hate.   
"Very well," Darien agrees. "Dawnbreaker is yours. Just ask yourself this, after all this is over, provided we are not all eaten by zombies, do you want to serve your Prince forever? Or do you want something else?"   
Darien vanishes after he speaks these words and Theodyn turns and picks up Dawnbreaker, staring at it in anger and puzzlement. Did any of them have an after, or was this all they were meant for? Theodyn sighs and moves to the door. Time to find Rufico and get this over with.

-Deep in Valenwood-  
Softly-Speckled-Crab crouches in a tree surrounded by the Wyrd Sisters. Grim silence seems to echo and Softly-Speckled-Crab regards the Wyrd, so very few left. Was the mood because they would have to take so very many lives today, or because they wanted to take vengeance for their fallen sisters? It was not the Veiled Heritance who killed their sisters, but they had aligned themselves with the one who did. Softly-Speckled-Crab turns her attention back to the camp below them. Remnants of the Veiled Heritance, still plotting, still hating Queen Ayrenn and all she stood for, Altmer at their worst. But even that did not justify wholesale slaughter of these Altmer below them. It was the fact that they followed Viperish Night that did. Nothing less than the fate of Nirn was at stake, and they had to take as many of his allies away from him as possible, since finding his vast army of the undead was utterly impossible. One final time does Softly-Speckled-Crab gaze at her allies, and at last, she decides their grimness is a result of vengeance, the desire for it. The Wyrd are powerful, and yet very hard, willing to do anything for their forest. Viperish Night threatened even the green for the corruption of the band would desecrate even the land. So...the Wyrd sisters sought vengeance for their fallen, and vengeance for what Viperish Night would soon do. He sang the death of all life in his madness. Softly-Speckled-Crab nods to Wyress Tiasiesa and she gestures to her sisters and they spring down from the trees like wild beasts, descending upon the Veiled Heritance below. Softly-Speckled-Crab leaps as well, landing amidst a group of them. Vines spring forth from the ground at her command and wraps around their bodies and necks. "To lessen Viperish Night's army in any way...is a mercy," Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses at them. "Forgive me." The vines convulse and snap their necks quickly and Softly-Speckled-Crab moves on to the next, vines shooting through bodies, roots smashing skulls, Softly-Speckled-Crab kills them as quickly as she can, and at last, it is all over and all the Veiled Heritance lie dead. Not a single of the Wyrd have fallen and Softly-Speckled-Crab looks over them and then at the fallen.  
Wyress Tiasiesa moves closer to Softly-Speckled-Crab. "You do not like this part." Wyress Tiasiesa observes.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab bows her head. "It must be done. I will do what I must, but I do not like swimming in the river of death." Softly-Speckled-Crab says.  
"Even if they deserve it?" Wyress Tiasiesa says. "They would help the necromancer destroy everything, including our forests. Does such action not deserve this fate?"  
"To believe that is to believe that there is no redemption, no changing the course of our river," Softly-Speckled-Crab says as she stares across the sea of dead bodies as her vines wrap around them to drag them to their burial into the earth. Softly-Speckled-Crab hopes this may prevent Viperish Night from rising them. Hope, for hope is all that is left.  
"He will not stop," Wyress Tiasiesa says. "We know that. So should you."  
"I know," Softly-Speckled-Crab says and her thoughts turn to Jeziasi. A single drop in Viperish Night's river, all for her love of her son. A drop can change the flow or be lost, but Viperish Night's river has not changed. 

-Bangkorai-  
"So," Rufico says, arms crossed. "Not even going to try and talk to me?" Rufico's eyes dart to Theodyn who's standing at ready nearby.   
Theodyn frowns and his grip on Dawnbreaker tightens. "Let us just get this done so we can prepare to go after the... Viperish Night and his pack." Theodyn says tightly.  
Rufico sighs. Still only one track on Theodyn's mind. Rufico looks around to see the Ash'abah standing at ready, waiting to start the battle. Today has been busy bloody business. First, Reaper's March and a contingent of Khajiit warriors. The Worm Cultists never saw them coming and between Rufico's murderous skills and Theodyn's expert swordsmanship with Dawnbreaker and the ferocity of the Khajiit, they made short work of it, leaving none left alive. Next had been The Rift, Nords helping that time. The Worm Cult camp there had given them a bit more of a fight, one of their scouts having detected them, but again the results were the same. Total annihilation. No prisoners, no survivors. Those who tried to run, Rufico cut down without hesitation. And now, Bangkorai. Deep in the desert mountains with a group of Ash'abah send from Alik'r.   
Rufico pulls the hood over his head and motions for Theodyn and the Ash-abah. They decent from the cliffs onto the Worm Cult camp, striking without mercy. Undead rise, only to be cut down by the Ash-abah, Rufico moves swiftly through the Worm Cultists, knifes finding their way across necks, throwing knives sinking deep into chests. Theodyn strikes with Dawnbreaker, its fiery light burning the remaining undead to ash, and its sharp blade cuts down Worm Cultists as well. Soon it is done, as it was in Reaper's March and The Rift. The Ash-abah move to contain the dead, in hopes it will keep Viperish Night from raising these, and burning the mass pits of the dead the Worm Cult was saving for him as well.   
Rufico's gaze turns to Theodyn who turns from the battlefield to walk toward the cliff. Rufico silently follows him. "They dropped like flies. Many many dead flies," Rufico comments as he leans against a rock and cleans his blades.  
Theodyn looks out upon Bangkorai. "Is that all they are to you? Insects to be killed without thought?" Theodyn says.  
Rufico frowns as he pauses and gazes at Theodyn puzzling over his words. "No mercy. That has been your creed as well as mine since we returned." Rufico says.  
Theodyn is silent long enough that Rufico fears he has gone back to silence in regards to Rufico, but at last, he speaks. "I..." Theodyn trails off and turns his head briefly to look at Rufico before turning his gaze back out on the horizon.  
"Theodyn, look at me." Rufico demands and when Theodyn makes no move to, Rufico adds, "Please," and finally Theodyn turns back to him. Rufico's eyes lock onto Theodyn's. In his friend's eyes is despair. Despair for the wholesale slaughter today. Confusion crosses Rufico's face.   
Theodyn reads Rufico's eyes and he frowns. "This is right, Rufico!" Theodyn snaps and turns away from Rufico yet again.  
"Right," Rufico echos as he stares at his knifes. He had learned of murder with the Dark Brotherhood. People pleaded with the Night Mother to kill for many many reasons. But always a reason. This...hardly was one. They could contain them, arrest them, but Viperish Night's threat was so great, this was decided on instead. No mercy, no one left alive. It was dark bloody business, even for a trained assassin. "This is not right, Theodyn," Rufico says and Theodyn snaps his attention back upon Rufico. "This is necessary," Rufico continues. "but we massacred them all. Even for an assassin, this is a merciless unforgiving act."  
Theodyn's expression wavers. "This is not what I wanted," Theodyn says, softly enough his words are almost lost. His eyes stare into Rufico's. "I wanted to stop the Vestige, stop Viperish Night, not...this."  
A glimmer of the Theodyn that Rufico knew, buried under what Meridia had made of him. "Could have fooled me, Theodyn," Rufico says as he puts his knives away.  
Theodyn snarls. "It's your fault, you know! I only felt the cold light of my Prince and then you...you..." Theodyn trails off, slowly changing colors.  
Rufico smirks. "Still can't say it, can you? Am I that bad at it?" Theodyn turns bright red and turns from Rufico. "That's what I thought," Rufico says.  
"Damn it, Rufico," Theodyn says. "Why did you have to do that? You just made everything harder."  
The small smile fades from Rufico's lips. "Because I missed you, Theo. Lost in the light... Selfish I know. I was resisting, but you being so lost cost us our victory. Might cost us everything. So why not?" Rufico says with a shrug. Theodyn is silent at Rufico's words. Rufico sighs. "Please tell me you know you've been stupid Theo. Or are you going to hide in the light again? Hide...from me?"  
"I...just feel such hate toward the... toward Jeziasi. I still do! I..." Theodyn trails off with a strangled tortured cry.  
"Can you see now its not your hate?" Rufico quietly tells him.  
Theodyn starts to shake. "Did she lie to me, Rufico? Prince Meridia said I would be stronger after. She never said this would be the result. Such coldness, such overwhelming hate. It drowns me, and at the same time calls me to it."  
Rufico's heart nearly breaks as he hears the overwhelming pain in Theodyn's voice and he steps a few steps closer to him. "Daedric Princes use us mortals, Theodyn. Look what Molag Bal did to Jeziasi. How dark Mehrunes Dagon made Iveryni, to the extent she's willing to burn down the world to stop this." Rufico says. "It's not your fault, it's Meridia's."  
Theodyn is silent before speaking again. "She wanted me to be her avenging light. Even if it cost us Nirn." Theodyn whispers the truth he finally is able to see.  
"There you go Theo, not so stupid. Just blinded by the light, by a Daedric Prince." Rufico says.  
Theodyn's hand clenches into a fist. "The light is supposed to be pure, good! Why?" Theodyn turns to Rufico. "Even if Prince Meridia is a Daedric Prince, she is of the light. Why is this the result?"  
"Light or dark is not good or evil, Theodyn," Rufico says. "It can be either or even both."   
"All I wanted was to save Nirn. To save so many. But the light..." Theodyn stops and Rufico can see him waver. To fall back into the light and not have to think such tortured thoughts, or to come out of it and bath in all the pain of the truth.  
"Is this the Theodyn you want to be?" Rufico asks. "Is this the Theodyn you would want your sister to see if she was still here?"  
Theodyn's gaze fills with fury and then pain and shock. "I..." Theodyn's voice fills with utter loss. "Not once have I thought of Seriana, of my parents and my home. Not once did what I am fighting for cross my mind," Theodyn whispers and he looks at Rufico, suddenly so very lost. "What did Meridia do to me?" Theodyn breaths. "Rufico please, help me. I don't want to forget again."   
Theodyn starts to shake harder and Rufico moves to him and cups Theodyn's neck in his hand. "I'll make sure you remember, Theo," Rufico tells him before he moves in and kisses Theodyn. The first time was full of anger and frustration, trying to reach his friend, this time its sorrow and hope and this time Theodyn kisses back, his hand moving to Rufico's neck, his other to Rufico's arm which he grips tightly, as if afraid of being cast adrift and lost without him.

A distance away Darien leans against a rock and smiles. "Bout damn time," Darien says happily.  
"Ah, young love. And from two crazy boys. I LOVE IT! Or do I hate it?"  
Darien looks down at the cat that suddenly has appeared. "Did you just talk?" Darien says.  
The cat looks up at Darien. "I know you know who I am! Do not pretend you don't know your Uncle Sheo!" Sheogorath hisses.  
Darien shrugs. "You got me. Why are you a cat anyway?" Darien says.  
"Because I can be! Or maybe I'm not and your just crazy enough to think I am!" Sheogorath states, and headbutts Darien. "Now shut up and watch the crazy! Or I will turn you into cheese!"  
Darien holds up a hand. "I'll be quiet," Darien says as he gazes back upon the boys, but then his gaze turns back to Sheogorath. "Theodyn tried to contact Meridia. I thought maybe...but it was you." Darien says.  
Sheogorath's eyes move to Darien's. "They would not give me a mortal to play with! PAYBACK!" Sheogorath purrs happily. 

-Western Skyrim-  
The portal opens near where the Razorhorn Clan has camped out. Iveryni crouches on a rock and gazes down at the camp, hidden in a clearing surrounded by large boulders. Many Reachmen are spread out below, but they will be destroyed as easily as the BearBeater and Boneslasher clans had been. Iveryni finally stands staff in hand and it starts to glow with Daedric fire. One of the Reachmen glances up at her and starts to sound the alarm, but it is far too late. Iveryni slams her staff onto the ground and Daedric portals open on the bounders surrounded the camp, Daedra pouring out, their soul purpose utter destruction. Iveryni leaps from the rock and joins the battle, flames pouring from her staff, turning the camp to cinders as the Reachmen start to die all around her.   
Tarvi pulls his sister Fasi behind a boulder as the Razorhorn's temporary camp starts to burn. Tarvi turns to Fasi, the fire shimmering in his eyes, as well as the anger and fear. "Run, Fasi," Tarvi tells her.  
Fasi hisses, her fangs glimmering. It had not been long since she had been turned, but long enough to gain control with her brother's help. "Razorhorn is my clan brother. I became this to help them. To be strong enough to help them!" she hisses angrily.  
Tarvi takes her shoulders roughly in his hands. "I know! But you cannot defeat them, none of us can! Run, warn Storm Claws of what is coming. Save them if you can," he pleads with her.  
A tear rolls down Fasi's face and she angrily wipes it away. "Come with me, brother," she begs of him.  
"You know I canna do that, sister," Tarvi says. "They are cutting down any who try to run. Only you are fast enough. Go, sister. Remember us. Remember Razorhorn Clan." Fasi rises and turns and Tarvi touches her hand and she glances back. "If you canna save them, run far from here," Tarvi says. "Stay away from that damn necromancer. Allying with him brought this down upon us. Promise me. If you cannot save them, run far away from the mad necromancers war."  
"Oh brother," Fasi whispers. "That may be farther than even I can run." Fasi's eyes harden and she turns from him. "I will remember, I am a Reachmen of Razorhorn Clan, now and forever." Fasi dashes away becoming a blur of speed that even the Daedra fail to notice and not once does she look back as her clan burns, for she will have not the strength to keep running if she does.  
Tarvi stands and watches his sister flee, then turns back to the battle. He stands with his Clan, until the moment a Daedra's sword finds him and he falls with the rest of his clan.  
Iveryni stands in the middle of the camp, fires still burning all around her. All of Razorhorn clan are dead at her feet. Deimyite moves up behind her. "You like it, Iveryni Rathnil. The destruction you wield. You are truly our Prince's champion."  
Iveryni says nothing, for he is right. Part of her enjoys this now. The utter ruin her fire causes destroying everything in its wake. Iveryni knows she could far too easily give into that part of her and have no further doubts of the future, but is that truly what she wants to become? Someone who would so easily set Nirn aflame, just for her goals, or Dagon's? Or...perhaps just to see it burn. At last, she turns to Deimyite. "One last Reachmen clan to take care of," Iveryni says as she opens a portal.

Fasi races toward Storm Claws, her clan, and her past behind her in heartbreak and fire. She races past Storm Claw's guards and stops in the middle of the camp and is quickly surrounded by Storm Claw's Reachmen, various weapons pointed at her. "She's coming," Fasi hisses. "The fire witch is coming."  
The Storm Claw's chieftain approaches, a fierce woman with ragged markings on both arms and claw marks down one side of her face. She orders her clan to be at the ready and then turns to Fasi. "Speak quickly, Razorhorn Clan." Chieftain Eiava commands of her.  
The sound of her clan sends a painful burst through Fasi's chest but she pushes it aside. "There is no Razorhorn Clan any longer," Fasi says. "My brother baid me to run and try and save you, for there was no saving my clan from the fire witch and her Daedra dogs."  
Before Chieftain Eiava can reply her Reachmen sound an alarm as portals open all around the camp. Chieftain Eiava spins from Fasi to her clan, barking orders. "Ri'Zakar," she shouts and the Khajiit of Storm Claw called Devourer of Khajiits approaches her, his staff gripped in one clawed hand.  
"This one will deal with the fire witch, Chieftain," Ri'Zakar tells her, and a feral grin crosses his face. "This one will devour her heart for daring this."  
Screams suddenly echo out and Chieftain Eiava spins. "Damn witch, she's targeted our storm mages." Chieftain Eiava races across the camp, her bow in her hands in a moment as arrows start to fly at the Daedra streaming into camp, and soon it is a battlefield with the sounds of battle and the roaring flames that threaten to destroy them all. Fasi spins around flashes in a blur of speed, attacking the Daedra, trying to save this clan, when she could not save her own.  
Iveryni stalks to the center of the camp where Ri'Zakar is waiting for her. Her eyes move over him. "You will burn as well, Khajiit," Iveryni says as flames run down her staff and across her hands.  
Ri'Zakar's angry growl answers her. "This one is Reachmen, of Clan Storm Claw, Not Khajiit, witch." Ri'Zakar growls. "And do not think you are the only one with fire, this one has fire of his own." Flames shoot from his staff, forming into a glowing ball that hovers near him and Ri'Zakar holds his staff at ready, electricity running down his staff. "The storm as well, answers this one."  
Iveryni's eyes glow. "It is the fires of the Deadlands that I command. Your storm magic is nothing." Iveryni says and she moves her staff forward and fireballs streak out. Ri'Zakar raises his, lighting bolts colliding with fire and he races through the chaos his claws glowing with burning flames to slam onto her staff. Iveryni's staff glows and a burst of magic throws Ri'Zakar backward. He stumbles before quickly regaining his footing and in his left hand a fire whip appears and he snaps it toward her it wraps around Iveryni's staff and yanks it from her grip to be tossed upon the ground. Iveyrni withdraws her axes and the flames that wreath her hands cover them and she charges at Ri'Zakar and slams them down on his staff, sending it from his grip. The ball of fire streaks out and flies toward Iveryni, she dodges as Ri'Zakar comes for her, his claws glowing once more with fire as he streaks them down her arm, ripping through armor and flesh. Ri'Zakar suddenly cries out in pain leaps back, hissing wildly.  
"What kind of witch are you?" Ri'Zakar hisses. "This one thought you mortal, but you seem more Daedra."  
Iveryni's eyes narrow, as liquid fire streams down her arm to hit the ground with a sizzle. "Daedra?" Iveryni whispers. "I am not a Daedra. I am a Dunmer mage." At Ri-Zakar's unbelieving gaze she shakes her head. "Perhaps I am more akin to a Flame Atronach now, in some regards. Certain things were necessary." Her eyes as hot as the flames of the Deadlands, but with a sense of loss in them as well. "You will not live to ponder this. None of you who side with Viperish Night will live to fight by his side." Lava bubbles out of the ground and surges toward Ri'Zakar who dives to the side to avoid being buried and melted by the surge.  
Ri'Zakar leaps up and circles Iveryni, who raises her axes. "This one seeks elemental power as well," Ri'Zakar hisses. "If this one had enough, you would be nothing to Ri'Zakar. But for now, this is all I have." Ri'Zakar roars and the fire whip appears in his hands again and it snaps forward with unbelievable speed to wrap around Iveryni's neck.  
Iveryni utters a choking scream and reacts violently to the attack. Memories flash through her mind, Viperish Night's claws across her throat, and in response to her distress lava bursts from the ground at her screams. The lava melts the fire whip and Ri'Zakar is sent scrambling backward to avoid the deadly splashing of the liquid lava. Iveryni snatches her staff from the ground and Ri'Zakar starts toward her, electricity seeming to crackle from his very fur as he seeks to call the storm to him. Iveryni snarls and utters a strange Daedric word and her staff glows with intense impossible light and a burst of blinding white fire streaks toward Ri'Zakar and envelops him, sending him flying across the camp, landing out of sight. Iveryni sinks to her knees, shaking slightly. That was enough to end the strange Khajiit, though using that amount of power had staggered her briefly. Iveryni rises and looks around, the Reachmen of Storm Claw is no more, they have been ended just as the other clans had been. All Iveryni sees now is Daedra, fire, and death all around her, caused by her very hands.  
Fasi had been tossed aside by the Daedra and thought dead. She had not time to come into her vampire power and all she can do now is watch in horror as the Daedra slaughter Storm Claw just as they did her clan. The pain of losing her clan with this sends such fear through her she crouches behind rocks, hiding and shaking waiting for a Daedra to kill her, for they allow none to survive the massacre. What is there left to live for, now? Fasi closes her eyes and waits for death to come to her.   
A crash nearby and Fasi's eyes bolt open as she beholds Storm Claw's Khajiit lying on the ground, blasted by an enormous burst of power. Fasi crawls to him, Ri'Zakar is bloody and horribly burned, but yet still breaths, yet still lives. Fasi glances around and no Daedra is near. Perhaps...perhaps there is still a chance for both of them. Fasi grabs Ri'Zakar's arm and pulls him up, the Khajiit weakly opening his eyes. "Must...fight," Ri'Zakar says. "Must fight for my clan... they saved this one. This one is Storm Claw..."  
Fasi lowers her head. "It's over. There is no one left. Just like my clan...this clan is no more." Ri'Zakar grits his fangs, barely containing a roar of rage that would surely alert the Daedra to them. "Run," Fasi whispers, the same word her brother told her. "There is no other option save for death."  
Ri'Zakar shudders softly. "This one will kill the witch. But this one will flee for now. This one..." Ri'Zakar's eyes flutter and he passes out, leaving Fasi hissing at him, but at last, she musters strength and speeds out at vampiric speed with him, using all she has in her to flee with him without being seen.

-Somewhere in Western Skyrim-  
Fasi limps through a decayed forest filled with heavy mist half dragging Ri'Zakar, who has not once regained consciousness. She can feel his life ebbing out of him every moment, he is slowly fading into death. He is not of her clan, but he is all she has left of her old life, which has been destroyed by fire, leaving little left. Once more, Fasi feels hope leaving her and that is when a figure moves out of the shadows and steps into their path.  
He's a Nord, but smaller and more lithe than most. His light blue eyes have an eerie light about him, and his brown hair is shaved on both sides leaving a strip of hair on top that trails off down the back of his head in a tail. The Nord regards them and then turns back into the mist and walks off, glancing back once to see if Fasi is following.  
Fasi stares after the strange Nord and then follows him. She has little choice, for Ri'Zakar is dying in her grip and there is nowhere else to turn. Most Nord's would turn on her and Ri'Zakar in an instant for them being Reachmen.   
The strange Nord leads them to a cave filled with magic and alchemic items. He gestures toward a cot and Fasi dumps Ri'Zakar on the cot as gently as she can and sinks to her knees, worn to the bone. Fasi grits her teeth as the hunger gnaws at her, instead focusing on the Khajiit. "Can you help him?" Fasi asks.   
"Deciding." The Nord says as he glances at them.   
"Deciding on what?" Fasi growls.   
"If he is interesting enough to save." The Nord says. "I perhaps can, but it is not what I usually...do." At Fasi's intense gaze he adds, "I can harm or I can heal. It depends." His eyebrows raise as he regards the two carefully. "Two Reachmen deep into Western Skyrim, one a vampire, one a Khajiit. These are not typical Reachmen. And the Khajiit is burned, but not by normal fire. Daedric."   
Fasi rises and starts to hiss angrily at the Nord, but Ri'Zakar's eyes flicker open and he weakly tugs at her arm pulling her back down. "This one is not Khajiit," Ri'Zakar whispers and the Nord moves closer to the two. "This one is Reachmen. The Storm Claws are...were my clan." Ri'Zakar growls, a sound filled with agony, despair, and fury."  
The Nord stares into Ri'Zakar's eyes. "You have such magic, rare for a Khajiit such as yourself. Wrong furstock for such powerful magic," he remarks.  
Ri'Zakar breaths rapidly, drawing upon his last remaining strength to speak. "This one found a way to be powerful. Devour the hearts of Khajiits...such power it gives this one."   
A small dark smile comes across the Nords face. "I would know more. Yes, you're interesting enough to save," he turns to Fasi. "Remove what remains of his armor and clothes," he orders her as he moves to his table and starts mixing various things.  
Fasi starts to pull off what remains of Ri'Zakar's armor but is halted by horror when she removes the last of it from his chest. Deep savage burns, but his left side is sheer horror. The fur, skin, and muscles all burned away leaving the rib cage exposed, the bones charred black. Fasi leaps up and backs away as the world starts to spin. She can see Ri'Zakar's heart through the carnage left by the witch's fire. How he has enough strength to keep it beating, his sheer force of will must have kept him alive as she escaped with him deep into Western Skyrim. "This is beyond healing," Fasi breaths as she shakes.  
The Nord looks over at her. "For most. I may be able to save him..."  
Fasi stares at him. He is claiming he can do the impossible. "How? Who are you?" she asks him.  
"I am Lyssavi," he answers her. "Outcast, since I am what a Nord should not be, by their reckoning. I also work for someone...yes you could put it that way...interesting. I have learned many many things that way. Such curious ways to harm and heal." Lyssavi's eyes narrow. "Now go, vampire. Find some Nord's to eat, if you can find one that's not drunk off his ass." At her angry hiss, he adds, "You are far too starved to risk you being here. You may attack and savage us both for your hunger."  
Fasi knows he's right but how can she leave Ri'Zakar to this madman? Her eyes move to Ri'Zakar's. She is on the brink, but still... "I cannot leave you here with him," Fasi whispers. "I think he is mad."  
Ri'Zakar looks up at her. "This one is dead, Fasi, no matter what he does to this one, he cannot make it worse." Ri'Zakar weakly says as his eyes slowly shut. "If it is a chance at not being dead, take it yes? This one wants to kill the witch someday."  
Fasi swallows. "I'll be back," she says and turns to Lyssavi. "Save him. My clan is gone and so is his. We have no one and nothing left. Save him." Fasi begs him before she turns and flees from the cave, flees from the impossible task she has asked of Lyssavi, flees from all that has happened this day.  
Lyssavi turns to Ri'Zakar with a vial of noxious smelling substance. "This will be agony, my strange new friend," Lyssavi warns him.   
"Do it. This one has no choices left," Ri'Zakar hisses.   
"Very well," Lyssavi replies. "Should you survive, I think we may become the very best of friends." His grin borders on ghastly as he pours the strange liquid on Ri'Zakar's grievous injuries.  
Fasi pauses once as she heads into the mist as Ri'Zakar's screams echo from the cave. She starts to turn back but the hunger finally overpowers her and she flees, seeking blood, seeking to lose herself in it and to bury this day's nightmare.

-Elden Root-  
Later that night the four heroes return and gather in the meeting room in the Mage's Guild. Theodyn sits hands clasped together, Rufico leans against the wall, Softly-Speckled-Crab perches on a chair and Iveryni leans back in her chair wearily.  
The silence is deafening. They are the chosen ones of the prophecy, set upon the path by Daedric and other forces to save Nirn..and yet they have committed near atrocities on this day. It had been Iveryni who suggested it and everyone agreed. Viperish Night was too powerful now, any method used to lessen it had to be taken. And so extermination of his allies was done. None would be foolish enough to stand with Viperish Night and his pack now. To do so meant utter annihilation without mercy.  
Iveryni speaks first, breaking the silence. "It had to be done," she says, her eyes moving to each of them in turn.  
Softly-Speckled-Crab looks back, Iveryni's gaze unsettles her. Yes, it had to be done, but the look in Iveryni's eyes is so very dark. Softly-Speckled-Crab hisses softly, "A mercy to try and lessen Viperish Night's power. A mercy to others." Softly-Speckled-Crab's gaze falls to her claws after speaking as she blinks softly, her spine aching with the thought of those who died. They may have been their enemies, but death destroyed any chance at another path.  
Rufico crosses his arms. "Mass murder. We gave them no chance, Iveryni." Rufico says, his eyes locked onto Iveryni and she looks away before Rufico can see the truth in her eyes, that part of her liked the destruction.  
Theodyn speaks last, looking down at his clasped hands. "It is my fault we had to do this. I...should have listened to my friends. My Prince blinded me." Theodyn blinks rapidly and Rufico moves from the wall to stand behind him. Theodyn looks back at Rufico.   
"Is this alright?" Rufico asks softly.  
"Closer, Rufico," Theodyn replies, his eyes diving into Rufico's depths. "You are the darkness to the light. I can see because of you." Rufico smiles a small smile and puts his hands on Theodyn's shoulders and Theodyn relaxes slightly.  
Iveryni stares at Theodyn and at last shakes her head. "You're an idiot Theodyn..." Iveryni says.  
"But he is our idiot," Softly-Speckled-Crab adds.  
"Yes," Iveryni says, her eyes just for a moment softening before they harden once more. "You... all of us must be together in all of this, from now on. Viperish Night will set his destruction upon us any day now. Any day."  
"We must be one pack," Softly-Speckled-Crab says.   
Theodyn bows his head. "I will ignore my Prince." Theodyn whispers. "I can still feel her light trying to blind me but..."  
"I'll keep you in the shadows, Theo," Rufico promises. "Just stay with me."  
Iveryni looks a little confused and Softly-Speckled-Crab reaches out to touch her arm. "Love can save the world or it can destroy the world," Softly-Speckled-Crab tells her, smiling just a little. "We have a chance now, however fleeting to end them. We are our own pack now." Softly-Speckled-Crab's hand moves to Iveryni's and she grasps it and after a moment Iveryni grasps it back. Softly-Speckled-Crab reaches out and Theodyn looks at it before unfolding his hands and grasping it. Rufico sits by Theodyn and takes his hand, and Iveryni's in his other. It is a pact between the four, not to stray from each other. No matter how dark the road may be, no matter what they have to do, they now promise to stay together through the dark and the light, to the end of the river.

-Elden Root-   
Razum-dar was very very busy. Audience with the Queen, passing along the Worm Cultist location to Rufico and Theodyn, informants to talk to, things to take care of. So much to do. No time to look at pretty ones or think of her. But at last the day fades into night and Razum-dar finds himself in his room with nothing further to do. He stares at the Khajiit bedding and finally gives up on the idea of sleep and he quietly slips out of Elden Root and into Valenwood, keeping to the shadows and routes only he as the Queen's Eye knows.   
Clouds cover the moons casting Valenwood in the dark shadows of night. A flash of golden fur catches Razum-dar's eyes as a very large rabbit crosses his path. Razum-dar's eyes follow it and he suddenly darts toward it and the chase is on. As fast as Razum-dar is, the golden rabbit is so much faster, but the Khajiit refuses to be outdone by a rabbit and so he leaps onto a tree and swings down in the rabbit's path. A flash of claws and it is over. Razum-dar scoops up the rabbit and ties it to his belt and heads further into the woods.   
An hour later finds Razum-dar in a small clearing. His thoughts have brought him to this very spot and he pauses, his paw brushing against the soft rabbit's fur. This, he should not do. Razum-dar gazes lost into the dark. "This one is foolish," Razum-dar quietly says to the night as his gaze turns upward. Jone and Jode hide their light, perhaps they think Razum-dar foolish as well. Razum-dar sighs softly. "Razum-dar needs to return to Elden Root. Not think of the pretty wild one." Razum-dar tells himself as he turns to go and as he starts to walk out of the clearing, the clouds suddenly part leaving Jone and Jode to shine their light down upon him. Razum-dar once more gazes up, his dusky green eyes filled with the light of the moons. Razum-dar's thoughts turn toward the near future. Death is what will happen. Jeziasi must die with her pack, but Razum-dar could just as easily die as well. What Razum-dar wanted, what he should not want, was one last chance to talk to his old friend without the chaos of battle and malevolent gazes. If he does not...Razum-dar fears all he will have in the end is regrets. Here, or in the Sands Behind the Stars.   
Razum-dar turns back to the clearing and the moons light shines down upon it casting a statue in brilliant moonlight. Razum-dar gazes up at it, so fierce, with such large antlers. As wild as Jeziasi, it was no wonder she was drawn to Hircine. Razum-dar takes the rabbit from his belt and he lies it at the statue's base. "This one thinks this is how it is done. The Dominion frowns on interacting with Daedra, but perhaps we will keep this from them, yes?" Razum-dar says. The air suddenly starts to shimmer with power and the statue seems to soak in the moonlight, growing brighter, and a voice filled with unfathomable power rings out.  
"A fitting gift. Golden rabbits are swift. To catch one is no small feat. Your offering is accepted, now speak what you would have of the Prince of the Hunt."   
Razum-dar's tail twitches. "A chance to speak to your champion. This is what this one asks. One last chance to speak to an old friend."  
"Do I hear regret in your voice?" Hircine's voice echos. "You should hold nothing back in your hunt of my champion and her pack."  
"For the Dominion, for Nirn, this one will not hesitate," Razum-dar says firmly.  
"Yet, one last time?" Hircine says.  
Razum-dar lowers his head. "This one asks this of you, yes."  
"Very well, I will grant this boon. Sleep, hunter for the Dominion, and I will bring you to her. You may speak to her in the place between waking and dreams."  
The world starts to spin around Razum-dar and he stumbles and falls upon the grass as unnatural sleep takes him, and takes his soul far from this place.

Jeziasi slowly stirs, the feel of the grass under her body, the sounds of the Hunting Grounds all around her. Jeziasi opens her eyes and rises, looking around to find herself in a small clearing. Her gaze moves to movement deep within the trees, briefly she sees Hircine in his Arawn form, though the ghost of his true self is shadowed within. His eyes find hers, his words echo in her mind. "A hunter has asked a boon of me, Champion. To speak with you." Jeziasi's eyes fill with curiosity as he finishes speaking and vanishes.   
Jeziasi startles slightly as she breathes the scents in the air. So familiar, yet so impossible. Jeziasi stills, not turning around just staring into the deep forest as soft pad steps come up behind her and stop. "Jeziasi," he says. His voice, so familiar as well.   
Jeziasi turns, her eyes staring into the dusky green of Razum-dar. She shakes her head slightly. "Why?" Jeziasi breaths. "Will you try to sway me? Threaten me? I will not betray him. I cannot."   
Razum-dar's eyes regard her, filled not with anger, but sorrow. "This one knows, Jeziasi." Razum-dar gently says.   
"Then why are you here?" Jeziasi asks again. It is unfathomable that he should be here, that he would interact with Hircine to be here.   
"To see my old friend," Razum-dar says.  
Jeziasi's eyes fill with sorrow before they harden. "We are not friends, Razum-dar. We are...enemies. We both know this, do not pretend otherwise with me. Why?"  
"Regrets, Jeziasi," Razum-dar answers. "This one does not wish this, but it is so. Razum-dar wished to speak to you one last time. Not to change your mind, just..." Razum-dar trails off, for once at a loss for words.  
Jeziasi is quiet for long moments. "Oh Razum-dar," she breaths. "I do not wish for this either. But it is. If I could...but you would not understand, would you? No one understands." The hard look in her eye wavers, the depths of pain seep through them, and her words.  
"Then help this one understand," Razum-dar says.   
Jeziasi's eyes harden and she slowly starts to snarl. "Damn you, Razum-dar, do you think me so foolish? Spy-master. Anything I tell you..." Jeziasi's hands curl on her daggers and she takes them out. Razum-dar starts to pack up and Jeziasi snarls softly. "No eyes in the dark watching. I will fight you as I am, and not as my wolf, but I will fight you. I will not allow you to trick me."  
"This one is not..." Razum-dar starts to say before Jeziasi dashes at him, her daggers flashing through the air in deadly intent. Razum-dar spins out of the way and his sword is in his hands. "So you wish to punch this one again?" he snarls.  
"I'll do more than that," Jeziasi says, her eyes flashing gold. Just barely is she restraining the wolf, so close to the surface his presence here has brought her emotions. Jeziasi spins around and brings her blades down, Razum-dar blocks them with his sword, and the two spin away from each other and then both spring again, blades clashing against blades, snarls meeting growls as they fight across the glen.   
Razum-dar ducks under her next swing, his sword slams up and a dagger flies off into the forest. Jeziasi roars and her dagger slices through the fur on his arm and Razum-dar flinches in pain at the cut. If this is a dream it is far too real and so he slashes with his sword in turn, and now it is her blood that mists through the air. Jeziasi's blade flashes down and Razum-dar blocks and the power from both sends the weapons flying from each other's grasp. "Enough, Jeziasi! This one just wants to talk."  
"Talk..." Jeziasi says. "WHY would you ever want to talk to me, Razum-dar? You gave up on me long ago. And maybe I deserved it. Maybe I made a mistake, pushed everyone away. But you do not get to come here and talk to me after all of it! Not here, not now!"   
Razum-dar's eyes fill with anger and sorrow as he hisses at Jeziasi. "You have always been stubborn! This one thought he was stubborn, but you! You never ask for help! Ever, and then you turn on the Dominion. You turn on this one!" Razum-dar hisses louder. "Not now, Jeziasi? That is all we have. Soon there will be nothing else. You know this, this one knows this!"  
Agony and despair flash through Jeziasi's eyes and she howls and throws herself on Razum-dar and they tumble to the ground in an angry pile. Razum-dar grabs her wrists and Jeziasi snarls at him before sinking her teeth into his ear and Razum-dar emits a painful screech and lets go. "Do not bite this one!" Razum-dar says and Jeziasi ignores him to spring on him again and tries to sink her teeth into his other ear. "Damn it," Razum-dar says and tosses her off. Jeziasi lands on all fours and her eyes are fully golden as the wolf starts to come out. She leaps at him and Razum-dar springs up. "You give this one no choice," Razum-dar snarls and he punches her and she crashes to the ground mid-transformation. "Enough!" Razum-dar snarls again as Jeziasi rises, anger and fury in her eyes. Razum-dar starts to back off, paws in the air. "This one understands now, Calm, Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. She is protective of her son, and anything she tells him could lead him back to Viperish Night, could expose their weaknesses. Razum-dar's duty has always come first. Razum-dar slowly turns his back on Jeziasi to regard the forest's depths. "This one asks if you could ensure anything spoken of here cannot be used against your champion." Razum-dar asks of Hircine.  
The anger drains from Jeziasi and she steps back in shock at what Razum-dar has just asked of her Prince, her wolf leaving her. A moment later Hircine appears in the sky and looks down at the two, regarding them with amusement. "Very well," Hircine says. "A hunter after my Champion and her pack asking that...amuses me. Speak freely champion. I will bind this time in the mortal's mind. He will never be able to speak of this night to anyone, nor use it against you and your pack." Hircine fades from the sky, leaving the two alone again. Razum-dar turns back to Jeziasi, who stares at him before sinking into the grass, her hands running through it. Razum-dar sits in front of her and waits for her to speak, or to keep her silence.  
Jeziasi finally speaks the despair enough to drown the world in her voice. "He never had a chance, Razum..." Jeziasi pauses and her eyes seek Razum-dar's  
"Raz, old friend," Razum-dar says. "Here, in this moment, Raz."   
Jeziasi nods and continues. "Life and death were not all that warred in Viperish Night. Daedric corruption, and because of the band he will never be free of it, even if he wished it. He never wanted this path, but he's lost to it now." Jeziasi closes her eyes as the truth and pain threaten to overwhelm her. "Can you not see a little? I know he holds blame for all of this, as do I, but it is not all his fault. I can see what he wanted to be, who he should have been allowed to be." Jeziasi opens her eyes and stares intensity at Razum-dar.  
"You have taken down those lost in darkness before." Razum-dar says, and then adds more gently, "You cannot bear to do it again, can you?"  
Jeziasi lowers her head. "No. But it is more than that, Raz. Ever since the war, I've been missing something. I chased it through the moonlight night, into the dark, and beyond never knowing it was family I was missing. Never knowing I wanted it until Viperish Night. I love him Raz, He is my son. I never got to hold him, never got to protect him. So many nevers. I will not be the one who ends him. I will be the one who loves him through the madness and darkness until the end." Jeziasi shudders softly and falls silent.   
Razum-dar slowly reaches out and places his paw on Jeziasi's hand. "This one understands now," Razum-dar says softly. "Razum-dar cannot stop hunting him...and you. But this one does understand. If..."  
Jeziasi interrupts him. "No ifs, Raz. It is too painful." Her eyes glimmer with unshed tears. "I understand too. Your love for not only the Dominion but all of Nirn. One of the many reasons we were such good friends." Jeziasi takes a deep breath. "Hunt us, and I will not hate you for it. But I will not let you snap your jaws on my son, or our pack either."  
"Stalemate!" Razum-dar says with a small sad purr. "This one could never hate you, Jeziasi. And...it lifts the heart of this one to know you do not hate Razum-dar."  
Jeziasi looks down at Razum-dar's paw as it rests on hers, a small warm comfort. "...You know the why of it now, don't you?" Jeziasi whispers pulling her hand away.  
Razum-dar is quiet before speaking. "This one was told by the heroes..." Razum-dar says, leaving the rest unspoken as he brings his paw back.  
"I know Raz. His involvement could not be kept a secret, nor could the nature of it." Jeziasi says as she slowly looks up at Razum-dar. "I know what you must be thinking. How could I not of known? How could I have been so foolish?" Jeziasi's thoughts go back to the words she spoke to the Queen and Razum-dar when imprisoned. "You know what I told you back in Elden Root, Raz. I should have known who he was, his eyes are the same."  
Razum-dar flinches at the pain and anger in her voice. "This one left you alone after Summerset, Jeziasi," Razum-dar says. "In pain, alone. This one let you go like that, once more."  
"I pushed everyone away, Raz," Jeziasi says. "I know now I cast myself adrift. Overconfidence, pain, lost. So many things drove me the wrong way." At Razum-dar's look Jeziasi's eyes harden. "I know it was not all my fault. Swims-In-Silence bound me so he could control my instincts to quiet, so I would not realize the truth. I may have been lost and foolish, but I was not foolish enough to be lost in him for as long as I was."  
Razum-dar stills utterly. This is not something he was told. This is not something he knew. "He did what?" Razum-dar says an angry growl building in his throat.   
Jeziasi startles slightly and looks away. "When I bonded with him he leashed me, Raz. Compulsion. In Shadowfen he ordered me to sleep when I started to wake to the truth. To keep me with him." Jeziasi says quietly.  
"Jez," Razum-dar breaths, that one word holding so much anger and horror. Not towards her, but what had been done to her.  
Jeziasi looks back at him with fierceness in her eyes. "I can break it now, Raz. But I must not. Not yet."  
"You intend to hunt him, yes?" Razum-dar asks her.  
"All our pack does, yes. If..." Jeziasi trails off.  
The fear in her eyes, the pain. Razum-dar swallows. "If?" This... this is something he thinks he does not want to know, but must still ask.  
"If I do not lose Viperish Night to him. The corruption grows stronger every battle." Jeziasi says. "He cannot swim out of this river, and it is all he can do to keep from the furthest depths. He has come back every time to me. I..." she trails off, but nothing more needs to be said. Her fear that one day he will not swim back to her is written all over her face.  
"Jeziasi," Razum-dar says softly. "What if you do lose him?" The look in her eyes of utter desolation tells him all. She will still stay with her son, even if it means... "Old Friend..." Razum-dar breaths.  
"The river drowns us all, Raz. There is nothing else now." A single tear slides from her eye to trace a path down her cheek. Jeziasi hears the pain in his voice and she lowers her head. She'll lose him again after this dream ends. Lose everything, no matter how hard she fights. More tears join the first as she struggles to stop them, to remain, strong merciless hunter, she must be. But all that has happened overwhelms her. "Go, Raz. You now know the truth of it all. Leave any regrets here, and go. Let what must happen, happen. It is too late for anything else."  
"This one will have one last regret if he leaves right now," Razum-dar says as he moves closer to her and places his paws on her arms. "This one hates to see a pretty one cry."  
"You idiot," Jeziasi snarls and shakes his arms from her, and then slams her fists into his shoulders. Once more he grasps her arms even as she fights him and finally, she ceases. "Raz..." Jeziasi softly whispers before giving up the fight to stop the flood and she falls into his arms and he holds her as her tears darken his fur. They stay that way for a time, in the glen between waking and dreaming, in a peace that is ever fleeting.  
Jeziasi finally pulls back and looks at Razum-dar, and places one hand on his cheek, his fur soft under her palm. "So many reasons this would never worked, but you loved me, didn't you?" she asks him softly.  
"How could this one not?" Razum-dar purrs. "Pretty one, but so strong and brave too." Razum-dar brings his hand up to cup hers. "But you did not feel the same. Razum-dar knows this."  
"That one night, I did," Jeziasi admits. "But I started to run, Raz. Away from everything. I slowly forgot how to be close to anyone, how to love them. Every time I tried, I was hurt, so I just ran further and further. After Summerset...I let myself fall. Let myself be caught, because it was easier somehow to live in that twisted dream he made for us in Shadowfen. I may have woken up sooner had he not bound me the way that he did, but I still went with him before that." Jeziasi breaths softly and adds, "My son taught me how to love again, to be close to another again, and for the first time how to put someone before my duty to Nirn, and before myself and my freedom. I know I still run, but with a pack now, until the inevitable end." Jeziasi's hand falls from Razum-dar and she rises. "We must hunt each other, soon, Raz."   
Razum-dar rises as well. "Yes, old friend. But without regrets, this one thinks." A shadow crosses his eyes.  
"One regret between us, Raz. If either takes the other's life, that will be our sole regret regarding each other." Jeziasi tells him. The truth she saw in his eyes of this, mirrors her own.  
"Very well, Old friend." Razum-dar agrees. "This one does not intend to lose."   
"And I do not intend to let my son be killed," Jeziasi replies back, and then her eyes lock onto Razum-dar's. "One request, my friend. One. Take me down first, if it is you whose jaws find us before the others. Promise me this, Raz."  
"You never make it easy, old friend," Razum-dar says and his eyes stare into hers. "This one promises, for you, my wild pretty one."  
Jeziasi gives him a small sad smile as the dream starts to fade, both being called back into the waking world.


End file.
